rd Teesdale's fine old Elizabethan seat a few miles from
Malton, not very far from Overstow. The shooting-parties at Hawstead
were well known for their happy enjoyment. They were talked about in
the drawing-rooms of Yorkshire and clubs in town each year, for Lady
Teesdale was one of the most popular of hostesses and delighted in
surrounding herself with young people.

So it was that Charlie Otley, on his arrival, met Peggy in the big
paneled hall, and by her side stood young Eastwood, the fair-haired
effeminate son of Lord Drumone. The party assembled at tea consisted
of some twenty guests, most of them young. After dinner that night
there was, of course, dancing upon the fine polished floor.

Before Lady Urquhart, Otley was compelled to exercise a good deal of
caution, allowing young Eastwood to dance attendance upon Peggy while
he, in turn, spent a good deal of time with Maud Bainbridge, the
rather angular daughter of the steel magnate. Towards Mrs. Bainbridge
and his hostess Charlie was most attentive, but all the time he was
watching Peggy with the elegant young idler to whom Lady Urquhart
hoped to marry her.

Now and then Peggy would glance across the room meaningly, but he
never once asked her to dance, so determined was he that her mother
should not suspect the true state of affairs. His position, however,
was not a very pleasant one, therefore part of the time he spent in
the great old smoking-room with his host, Sir Polworth, and several
other guests, some of them being women, for nowadays the ladies of a
country house-party invariably invade the room which formerly was
sacred to the men.

When the dance had ended and the guests were about to retire, Otley
managed to whisper a word to the girl he loved. He made an appointment
to meet her at a secluded spot in the park near the lodge on the
following morning at eleven.

She kept the appointment, and when they met she stood for a few
moments clasped in her lover's arms.

"I had such awful difficulty to get away from Cecil," she said,
laughing. She looked a sweet attractive figure in her short tweed
skirt, strong country shoes and furs. "He wanted to go for a walk with
me. So I slipped out and left him guessing."

Her companion remained silent.

A few moments later they turned along a path which led to a stile, and
thence through a thick wood of leafless oaks and beeches. Along the
winding path carpeted with dead leaves they strolled hand-in-hand,
until