'Yes, I'm his favourite,' said Mark; 'but I'm not proud, Trixie. Besides, I rather think all that is over now.'
Here the door of the next room opened, and Mrs. Ashburn's voice was heard saying, 'Trixie, tell your brother Mark that, if he is in a condition to be spoken to, his father and I have something to say to him at once.'
'Encouraging that,' said Mark. 'Well, Trixie, here goes. You'd better go to bed. I'm afraid we are going to have a scene in there.'
He went in with a rather overdone cheerfulness. 'Well, mother,' he began, attempting to kiss her, 'I didn't dine at home to-night because——'
'I know why you didn't dine at home,' she said. 'I wish for no kisses from you, Mark. We have seen your uncle.'
'So have I,' said Mark; 'I lunched with him.'
'It is useless to trifle now,' she said; 'we know all.'
'I assure you I did lunch with him; we had chops,' said Mark, who sometimes found the bland and childlike manner very useful in these emergencies. It did not serve him then, however.
'How could you deceive your uncle in such a manner?' she resumed.
'I didn't. I undeceived him.'