"Tell her to come, of course."
The girl never moved. He asked, impatiently:
"What are you waiting for, creature?"
"Please, Sir, Mrs. Marks will not come."
"She will not come!"
"No, Sir; she has just had her luncheon. Mrs. Marks never stirs after her luncheon."
She spoke confidently. Mr. Thornton reclined back in his chair, uttered an amazed "Ah!" but, recovering himself, he said, with great suavity:
"Charlotte, be so good as to give my compliments to Mrs. Marks, and say that I shall feel indebted to her if she will favour me with her company for a few minutes, now," he added, with some stress.
Charlotte shook her head sceptically; but she obeyed, and proved more successful than she had anticipated, for, ere long, the door again opened, and admitted Mrs. Marks. In dress and appearance, she looked exactly the same as seven years before.
"Mrs. Marks," said Mr. Thornton, with great politeness, "will you have the kindness to show Miss Burns, my grand-daughter, to her room?"