The ribbon must have cost the earth. But I am so glad you did. Oh, thank you, thank you." She dashed across the room to hug Margaret, who beamed with pleasure. "The ribbon caught my eye," she said, "and I could not possibly leave the shop before I had bought a length of it." "You want me to believe it was an impulsive purchase?" Katherine said. "What a bouncer, Meg. You went there deliberately to look for some suitable trimming just because you wanted to do something nice for me. I know you of old." Margaret looked sheepish. "Here comes Stephen," Vanessa said, "in more of a hurry than Kate was." Their brother saw Vanessa looking out at him and grinned and waved a greeting. He was wearing his old riding clothes, she could see, and boots that looked as if they were in dire need of a good brushing. Sir Humphrey Dew allowed him to ride the horses from the Rundle stables whenever he wished, a favor Stephen had accepted gladly, but in return he insisted upon doing some work in the stables. "I say," he said, bursting into the parlor a minute later, smelling of horse, "have you heard the news?" "Stephen." Margaret looked pained. "Is that /manure /on one of your boots?" The smell alone would have answered her question. "Oh, dash it." He looked down. "I thought I had cleaned it all off. I'll do it right away. Have you heard about the viscount staying at the inn?" "/I /told them," Katherine said. "Sir Humphrey has gone to bid him welcome," Stephen told them. "Oh," Vanessa said with a slight grimace. "I daresay," Stephen said, "he will find out what the man is doing here.