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remarked, like a queen-regnant ly asked, looking at him for a with her ladies-in-waiting in close attendance.

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Here she caught Jack's eye, he all the time having said nothing, and apparently not much relishing this sort of badinage.

"Are you wise to venture down?" he whispered, as he leant over to pick up her handkerchief.

"Yes, really, I am very much better," she said, in the same tone, thanking him with a grateful glance.

"Well, we must not mob you in this fashion," put in Cicely, always thoughtful for others. "Maudie, dear, come and show me the pictures you had for me." This created a diversion, and the rest of the company kindly took the hint and dispersed, leaving Woolcombe and Miss Raymond alone.

"I am sure I am much obliged to my sister," said Jack. "She and you are great friends, I hope."

"The greatest. I love her exceedingly. But why," she demure

second, her?'

"are

you grateful to

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"It was well-that-that now, I had you to myself."

"You must surely have had too much of that at the Heronry." "I wish we were there again, all alone."

"It was very nice then," wistfully, and quite ignoring the dreadful impropriety of her stay there with a solitary bachelor.

"Wasn't it! And here, you see, there are such lots of people, I never get you alone. Do you know, I've been thinking over your name, Miss Raymond. It is a very pretty one."

"Suitable," she said, saucily, "for a plain girl."

"I don't know about that, he hotly rejoined. "I know it's very suitable for you."

Half rising on her elbow, and fixing on him a piercing glance, under which he quailed-Captain Woolcombe, did you not say it would set off a plain girl?"

"So I did," beginning to get a little uncomfortable, "' and I say it again; and, par consequence, how much more it must set off a lovely girl!"

"Why, you distinctly said you couldn't imagine-yes, those were your very words. a pretty girl going about with such a name."

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"I

"No; did I really?" showing signs of complete defeat. never could have said that."

"Yes, you did, though."

"Well, it shows," he stammered in confusion, "how little I knew about it."

heavy rain, and, to the delight of the men, there was, with the break up of the frost, every prospect of a

"Why, what more do you know good time for hunting. But the about it now, sir?"

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"I know you—and—and"Hush! you are going to pay me compliments."

"Never! I was going to tell you the real honest truth. But let me know how you came by your name."

"Did you ever hear of a place called Minori ?" "No."

"Well, there is such a village, and it so happens I was born there. It is quite close to Amalfi."

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"I'll look it out in the map.' "I doubt if you will find it, as it hardly ranks as a town. However, there I was born, and I took my name from the place." "How very interesting! it's my luck over again. Dick!

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But
Here's

"Yes, here's Dick," said that young scapegrace, sauntering up, not in the least aware how little he was wanted. "I'm come to relieve guard. Kate wants to see you at least she did ten minutes ago-a -about to-morrow."

day itself was hopeless: the state of the roads, to say nothing of the continued showers, kept all but the most enterprising indoors; and as the dull, dark, and cheerless evening fell, the party found themselves assembled in the drawingroom over afternoon tea, with the gloom only broken by the bright flickering of the fire, which leapt and sparkled on the hearth.

The several inmates of the Manor House had grouped themselves around Mrs. Beaufort, and the cravings for refreshment having subsided, the question arose as to what was now to be done.

"Well, for one thing," cried out Dick, "we ought all to be here." "So we are, are we not?" asked Mrs Beaufort.

"Not a bit of it," responded Dick, who was reposing on the easiest chair in the room, with his arms behind his head.

"You disgracefully lazy boy, sit up and tell us who the defaulters are," commanded Cicely.

"I don't see Trevor and Enid." "You rude boy! what right She'll tell have you to call Miss Masham Enid?" asked Mrs Beaufort.

"What about to-morrow?" "Oh, I don't know.

you."

There was no help for it, and Woolcombe had to retreat, to his disgust-finding out, after all, that Dick had mistaken his message, and that Mrs Beaufort had referred to some one else. That night Woolcombe only caught a hurried word or two with Miss Raymond before she was carried away, but the bright smile she gave him, and the cordial clasp of her little hand, sent him into the smoking-room in a delightful frame of mind, with all the pleasures of anticipation as to what the coming hours might bring forth. The next day broke with

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remarked, like a queen-regnant ly asked, looking at him for a with her ladies-in-waiting in close attendance.

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"But, as you see, Sir Piers," returned Minory, colouring, "I am not a Princess, and I am not asleep, and so the Prince here would be out of place."

Here she caught Jack's eye, he all the time having said nothing, and apparently not much relishing this sort of badinage.

"Are you wise to venture down?" he whispered, as he leant over to pick up her handkerchief.

"Yes, really, I am very much better," she said, in the same tone, thanking him with a grateful glance.

"Well, we must not mob you in this fashion," put in Cicely, always thoughtful for others. "Maudie, dear, come and show me the pictures you had for me."

This created a diversion, and the rest of the company kindly took the hint and dispersed, leaving Woolcombe and Miss Raymond alone.

"I am sure I am much obliged to my sister," said Jack. "She and you are great friends, I hope."

"The greatest. I love her exceedingly. But why," she demure

second, her?"

"are

you grateful to

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I had you to myself."

"You must surely have had too much of that at the Heronry." "I wish we were there again, all alone."

"It was very nice then," wistfully, and quite ignoring the dreadful impropriety of her stay there with a solitary bachelor.

"Wasn't it! And here, you see, there are such lots of people, I never get you alone. Do you know, I've been thinking over your name, Miss Raymond. It is a very pretty one."

"Suitable,' she said, saucily, "for a plain girl."

"I don't know about that, he hotly rejoined. "I know it's very suitable for you."

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"Well, it shows," he stammered in confusion, "how little I knew about it."

"Why, what more do you know about it now, sir?”

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"I know you—and-and"Hush! you are going to pay me compliments."

"Never! I was going to tell you the real honest truth. But let me know how you came by your name."

"Did you ever hear of a place called Minori ?"

"No."

"Well, there is such a village, and it so happens I was born there. It is quite close to Amalfi."

"I'll look it out in the map." "I doubt if you will find it, as it hardly ranks as a town. However, there I was born, and I took my name from the place." "How very interesting! it's my luck over again. Dick!"

But
Here's

"Yes, here's Dick," said that young scapegrace, sauntering up, not in the least aware how little he was wanted. "I'm come to relieve guard. Kate wants to see you at least she did ten minutes ago-about to-morrow."

heavy rain, and, to the delight of
the men, there was, with the break
up of the frost, every prospect of a
good time for hunting. But the
day itself was hopeless: the state of
the roads, to say nothing of the
continued showers, kept all but the
most enterprising indoors; and as
the dull, dark, and cheerless even-
ing fell, the party found them-
selves assembled in the drawing-
room over afternoon tea, with the
gloom only broken by the bright
flickering of the fire, which leapt
and sparkled on the hearth.
The several inmates of the Manor
House had grouped themselves
around Mrs. Beaufort, and the
cravings for refreshment having
subsided, the question arose as to
what was now to be done.

"Well, for one thing," cried out
Dick, "we ought all to be here."
"So we are, are we not?" asked
Mrs Beaufort.

"Not a bit of it," responded Dick, who was reposing on the easiest chair in the room, with his arms behind his head.

"You disgracefully lazy boy, sit up and tell us who the defaulters are," commanded Cicely.

"I don't see Trevor and Enid." "You rude boy! what right She'll tell have you to call Miss Masham Enid?" asked Mrs Beaufort.

"What about to-morrow?" "Oh, I don't know.

you."

There was no help for it, and Woolcombe had to retreat, to his disgust-finding out, after all, that Dick had mistaken his message, and that Mrs Beaufort had referred to some one else. That night Woolcombe only caught a hurried word or two with Miss Raymond before she was carried away, but the bright smile she gave him, and the cordial clasp of her little hand, sent him into the smoking-room in a delightful frame of mind, with all the pleasures of anticipation as to what the coming hours might bring forth. The next day broke with

"She asked me to didn't she, Grace?" to the younger Miss Masham.

"Upon my word, Dick, you are highly favoured," said Jack, laughing.

"Oh, she calls me Dick, so it's all square."

"Rather a one-sided bargain, Master Dick," said Beaufort. "But here are the delinquents."

And as he spoke, Trevor Woolcombe and the eldest Miss Masham sauntered in, in the most unconcerned way.

"Why, where have you been,

Enid dear the tea must be quite cold?" asked Mrs Beaufort.

"Thanks, dear-I like it cold. Mr Woolcombe was showing me a stroke in the billiard-room.

"A jolly light to see strokes by," yawned Dick.

"You incorrigible little villain," from Harry Jocelyn sotto voce; "can't you let people enjoy themselves their own. way?" Then aloud "It so happens," he pronounced oracularly, "there are some strokes at billiards that always come off best when there's not too much light."

"True for you old man," said Trevor good-naturedly, laughing. "Pitch that fellow Dick over the arm of the chair, and make him shut up."

Here a diversion was made by Mrs Evesham saying that, as they were all present, it now had to be decided what they should do. Dancing was veteod, because Minory could only just manage to hobble; charades were thought slow; and dumb crambo would not do, for there was not enough audience.

Lights were just then brought in, and something like a redistribution. of places took place as the tea things were taken away. Mrs Beaufort, however, sat considering, twisting her rings off and on her fingers.

"I call you all to witness," called out Tom Beaufort, "that if Kate persists in playing with her rings, and taking them off as she does, she'll some day lose them."

"Nonsense, dear! I never lose them. There, see! I take them all off."

"What! even your weddingring?" asked Mrs Evesham in

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There was an instant search, but only one of the two that had dropped was recovered.

"Oh dear!" cried Mrs Beaufort, in real distress, "how foolish of me ! The one missing is my wedding-ring."

There was a renewed effort made, and wanderers went all over the carpet, but the ring was not forthcoming, and presumably it had rolled into some remote corner.

"No, please don't search any more," said Mrs Beaufort, colouring, however, with annoyance at her peculiar loss: "It's very aggravating, but I've only myself to blame.. Before we go up to dinner we can have another look."

"The very thing," said Dick; "the word search made me think of it. Look here! let's have the thought game."

"But how is it done?" asked some one. "Oh, easy enough. You place something somewhere, and then the searcher has to look for it."

"Rather vague. Why, how ever can he find it?" demanded Jack.

"Oh, easily," answered Dick. "We'll hide a thing and blindfold you, and I'll bet you find it." "Of course, if you take him up to it," said Trevor.

"I'm not going to take him up to it. I merely go with him to prevent his tumbling over the chairs. You'll see it's all fair."

"But," protested Jack, "I must see what it is I am to find."

"Of course. Look here! there's this bit of string. You see it?" "I can venture so much. Yes, I see it."

"Then we will now blind your eyes. Some one tie a handkerchief tight around his head."

This operation being performed, Woolcombe was turned round three times, and stood motionless, while

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