"And your rooms are so charming," said Lady Munro. "I like them a great deal better than ours in Gloucester Place."
Mona laughed. She was well used by this time to her aunt's figures of speech.
"We are on our way to dinner at the Lacys', and as we had ten minutes to spare——"
"For a wonder!" growled Sir Douglas.
"——Douglas was determined to look in upon you."
Mona smiled across brightly at her uncle, but she fervently hoped the ten minutes would be over before Dr Dudley arrived. It was at least fortunate that the engagement was dinner.
The ten minutes, however, still had half their course to run when Mona heard a timid knock at the street-door.
"That can't be his," she said to herself. But she did not find it easy to preserve her self-control when she heard footsteps coming up-stairs.
A moment later the door was thrown open, and the parlour-maid announced—
"Mr Brown from Kilwinnie."