later on if I
arrange a cruise. I shall be charmed if you will."

"My dear Mr. Standish, you are too good," exclaimed Don Carlos, with
unaffected delight. "Ten thousand thanks! Nothing will give me
greater pleasure. I gladly and gratefully accept your invitation, but
you must promise to allow me to attempt to return your hospitality in
Spain. I cannot promise you much in the way of sport, except, perhaps,
a little brigand shooting, but I can promise you some novel
experiences."

"Thanks awfully," said Tony. "I must tell Myra, and show her your
beautiful present."

Myra gazed at her fiance in wide-eyed amazement and consternation when
she heard the news.

"Tony Standish, you must be blind and crazy!" she burst out
tempestuously. "I won't come to Auchinleven if Don Carlos is to be one
of your house party. I won't! Surely you must have seen for yourself
that Don Carlos has been making love to me on every possible occasion
for weeks? Yes, right in front of your very nose, Tony. He said he
would see to it that we were fellow-guests for the shooting--and now
you have invited him to Auchinleven!"

"I--er--I say, Myra, this is news to me," exclaimed Tony,
flabbergasted. "You--er--you don't actually mean to say that Don
Carlos has been making love to you in earnest? I can't imagine his
doing such a thing. I mean to say he--er--he seems an awfully good
sort, although he is a foreigner, and he and I have become quite pally.
He seems quite a good sport, and he does not strike me as being the
sort of chap who would poach on another fellow's preserves. Really,
Myra, this is quite a shock!"

"If you are referring to me as your 'preserves,' Tony, Don Carlos has
certainly been poaching--or trying to poach," said Myra. "He persists
in making love to me and refuses to be rebuffed, and he has repeatedly
sworn that he will take me from you and make me his own at all costs."

"The deuce he has!" ejaculated Tony, surprised, indignant, and
flustered. "I say, Myra dear, I--er--I wish--er--I wish you'd told me
this before--I mean before he and I became pally, I had no idea he was
really making love to you. No idea, I assure you. If I'd known, I
certainly wouldn't have invited him to Auchinleven or accepted his
presents. Now I don't know what the deuce to do. I'm in a frightfully
awkward position. Frightfully awkward!"

"Frightfully awkward!" Myra mimicked. "Oh, Tony, don't be such a
duffer! Unless you want to l