“Will you follow, Mr—Mr—?”
“Er-rum! Sir Hampton Rea, at your service, gentlemen,” said the knight, stiffly.
“I beg pardon, Sir Hampton—strangers, you see. My friend here is Sir Felix Landells; my name is Vanleigh—Captain Vanleigh.”
“Guards,” said Sir Felix, in the midst of a good deal of formal bowing; and then, all being seated, the waggonette drove off, Sir Hampton, in the conversation which ensued, being most careful to avoid any reference to the destination of his new friends, merely requesting to be set down at the end of the lane leading to Tolcarne, the party separating amidst a profusion of bows.
“What a pair of dandies!” said Fin.
“A most refined gentleman that Captain Vanleigh,” said Sir Hampton.
“What did you think of the other one, dad?” said Fin.
“Aristocrat. Er-rum! aristocrat,” said Sir Hampton. “Blue blood there, for a certainty. I hope they’ll call. By the way, Tiny, I thought you unnecessarily cold and formal.”
“Did you, papa?” said Tiny. “Indeed, I did not mean to be so.”
Here they reached the hall, and the girls went to their room.