Tiny Luttrell

he brim of the first hard hat he had worn for a fortnight. He was ready, while the ladies were traditionally late, but he did not lose patience; he was too much entertained

amily within those gates. There were county clergymen driving themselves in ill-balanced dogcarts, and county townspeople in carriages manifestly hired, and county bigwigs-as big as the Dromards themselves-in splendid equipages, with sple

should run behind it," he suggested to the girls when

lannels which Erskine envied him. "Get in front of them and slow down. That'd be th

iety, but open admiration. Tiny was neatly dressed in white, and her hat was white also. "Do you know why I wear a white hat?" she asked Erskine on the way; but her question proved merely to be an impudent adaptation of a very disreputable old riddle, and beyond this she was unusually silent during the short drive. Yet she seemed not only self-possessed, but inwardly at her ease. She sat on the little seat in front, often turning round to gaze ahead, and her curiosity and interest were very frank and natural. So were her admiration of

exclaimed. "This is

h Lady Dromard, the good of the gap became triumphantly apparent. The countess was very kind indeed. She was a tall, fine woman, with whom the shadows of life had scarce begun to lengthen to the eye; her face was not only handsome, but wonderfully fresh, and she had a trick of lowering it as she chatted with Ruth, bending over her in a way which was comfortable and almost motherly from the first. She had heard of Mrs. Holland, whom she was glad to meet at last, and of whom she now hoped to see somethi

te-robed Tiny, and the smooth-shaven turf was air to Ruth's tread as she marched off with her husband and that cynosure. Nor was her satisfaction decreased when the first person they came across chanced to be no other than Mr

he's here!" (Mr. Willoughby and a brother rector might have been hatching dark designs against their bishop, who was himself present, judging by their looks.) "I call him the picture of misery.

ented himself with promising Mrs. Willoughby a telegraphic rep

man; "they won't look at you. But I shouldn't be surprised to

was agreed that a band was an immense improvement to a rite of this sort. Then these three, who, after all, knew very few people present, followed the example of others, and made a circuit of the house, in high good humor. But Tiny found herself between two conversational fires, for Ruth would compel her to express admiration for the premises, w

lady was saying. "I've never seen you

me's D

Honorable Douglas

ice without answering

licitor, and may be the Conservative agent, if his wife doesn't disqualify him. She professes to know all about the Dromards, as you heard the other day. You can guess the k

do envy you-your schoolboys, your little gentlemen! We don

hadow of the red-brick house, their figures mirr

ngland," Ruth exclaimed during a pause between th

mpton Court on this side,"

e are others they never use, are there not, Erskine?-t

silence as they passed a shabby looking pe

ot here?" Tiny mur

ter right tha

you mean,

it's th

should have guess

is special fancy in the country. It's h

his son's, which has always appea

essed," remonstrated Ruth, with her usu

s nothing to find fault with, ever; that's what makes one th

, taking this liberty with charming grace and tact, yet with a becoming amount of natural shyness. Manister, for one, was pleased with the introduction on all grounds. From the first, however, he addressed himself to the married lady, speaking partly of the surrounding country, for which Ruth could not say too much, and partly of Melbourne, which enabled him to return her compliments. His manner was eminently friendly and polite. Discovering that they had not yet been in the house for tea, he led the way thither, and through a throng of people in the hall, and so into the dining room. Here he saved the situation from embarrassment by making himself equally attentive to another party. To Ruth, however, Lord Manister's civility was

ntess in her kindliest manner as Ruth

at Lady Almeric's," replied Rut

r in Melbourne," add

r country. "Then you must certainly come and see me," she added cordially, though her surprise was still upon her. "I am gre

sation provoked a blush, which Ruth took care to remember. Certainly, if the countess had spoken queerly, the queerness had escaped the one person who was not on the lookout for something of th

f the day for all comers-and can't you imagine them wiping their foreheads when we were all gone? I only hope they wiped us out of their heads! We're much happier as we are. I'm not rabid, like Mrs. Willoughby; but she prophesied a very possible experience, when all's said and done, confound her! I have visions

h, with some spirit. "Lady Dromard was most kind; a

, feeling vaguely tha

sure he is simple-minded! I am also sure that you won't find anothe

or me in his manners and appearance; I should like to untidy him; I should like to put him in a temper. Lord

, eyeing his sister-in-law curiously; her face was to

she answered with

I say, if we meet him in Piccadilly we may score

here," Ruth interrupted-"or Tiny and