sique is so stupid," said Gus.

"Horribly stupid," said Ralph.

"And what do you like, Mr. Newton?"

"I like you," said Ralph. But he did not propose on that evening.
Lady Eardham thought he ought to have done so, and was angry with
him. It was becoming almost a matter of necessity with her that young
men should not take much time. Emily was twenty-seven, and Josephine
was a most difficult child to manage,--not pretty, but yet giving
herself airs and expecting everything. She had refused a clergyman
with a very good private fortune, greatly to her mother's sorrow. And
Gus had already been the source of much weary labour. Four eldest
sons had been brought to her feet and been allowed to slip away; and
all, as Lady Eardham said, because Gus would "joke" with other young
men, while the one man should have received all her pleasantry. Emily
was quite of opinion that young Newton should by no means have been
allotted to Gus. Lady Eardham, who had played besique with an energy
against which Josephine would have mutinied but that some promise was
made as to Marshall and Snelgrove, could see from her little table
that young Newton was neither abject nor triumphant in his manner.
He had not received nor had he even asked when he got up to take his
leave. Lady Eardham could have boxed his ears; but she smiled upon
him ineffably, pressed his hand, and in the most natural way in the
world alluded to some former allusion about riding and the park.

"I shan't ride to-morrow," said Gus, with her back turned to them.

"Do," said Ralph.

"No; I shan't."

"You see what she says, Lady Eardham," said Ralph.

"You promised you would before dinner, my dear," said Lady Eardham,
"and you ought not to change your mind. If you'll be good-natured
enough to come, two of them will go." Of course it was understood
that he would come.

"Nothing on earth, mamma, shall ever induce me to play besique
again," said Josephine, yawning.

"It's not worse for you than for me," said the old lady sharply.

"But it isn't fair," said Josephine, who was supposed to be the
clever one of the family. "I may have to play my besique a quarter of
a century hence."

"He's an insufferable puppy," said Emily, who had come into the room,
and had been pretending to be reading.

"That's because he don't bark at your bidding, my dear," said Gus.

"It doesn't seem that he means to bark at yours," said the elder
sister.

"If you go on like that, girls, I'll t