It was not till this lady had taken her leave and another had been found that Mr.John Mortimer repeated his invitation to little Peter Melcombe.

His mother brought him, and according to the programme she had laid down, got herself invited to stay a few days.
She had no trouble about it.

Mr.John Mortimer no sooner saw Mrs.
Melcombe than he expressed a hospitable, almost a fervent hope, that she could stay a week with him.
Of course Mrs.Melcombe accepted the invitation, and he was very sociable and pleasant; but she thought the governess (a very grand lady indeed) took upon herself more than beseemed her, and smiled at her very scornfully when she ventured to say sweet things to John Mortimer on her own great love for children, and on the charms of his children in particular.
Peter was excessively happy.

His mother's happiness in the visit was soon over.

She shortly found out that an elderly Scotch lady, one Miss Christie Grant, an aunt of the late Mrs.Daniel Mortimer, was to come in a few days and pay a long visit, and she shrewdly suspected that the attractive widower being afraid to remain alone in his own house, made arrangements to have female visitors to protect him, and hence the invitation to her.