Nevertheless，thearchdeaconthoughthimselftobehardlyusedwhenhefoundMrsRobartswasatthehouse。
’Mydeararchdeacon，whoeverexpectedtoseeyou？’saidoldLadyLufton。Thenthetwoyoungerwomengreetedhim。Andtheyallsmiledonhimpleasantly，andseemedoverjoyedtoseehim。Hewas，intruth，agreatfavouriteatFramley，andeachofthethreewasgladtowelcomehim。TheybelievedinthearchdeaconatFramley，andfeltforhimthatsortoflovewhichladiesinthecountrydofeelfortheirelderlymalefriends。Therewasnotoneofthethreewhowouldnothavetakenmuchtroubletogetanythingforthearchdeaconwhichtheyhadthoughtthearchdeaconwouldlike。EvenoldLadyLuftonrememberedwhatwashisfavouritesoup，andalwaystookcarethatheshouldhaveitwhenhedinedattheCourt。YoungLadyLuftonwouldbringhisteatohimashesatinhischair。Hewaspettedinthehouse，wasallowedtopokethefireifhepleased，andcalledtheservantsbytheirnamesasthoughhewereathome。Hewascompelled，therefore，tosmileandtoseempleased；
anditwasnottillafterhehadeatenhislunch，andhaddeclaredthathemustreturnhometodinner，thatthedowagergavehimanopportunityofhavingtheprivateconversationwhichhedesired。
’CanIhaveafewminutes’talkwithyou？’hesaidtoher，whisperingintoherearastheyleftthedrawing—roomtogether。Sosheledthewayintoherownsitting—room，tellinghim，assheaskedhimtobeseated，thatshesupposedthatsomethingspecialmusthavebroughthimovertoFramley。’Ishouldhaveaskedyoutocomeuphere，evenifyouhadnotspoken。’
’Thenperhapsyouknowwhathasbroughtmeover？’saidthearchdeacon。