he doomed to swallow amber beads for the remainder of the repast? he
asks himself.

"Did you ever meet Archdale, the man who was in the 16th?" continues Miss
Frampton, glibly, unconscious of his agonies; "he exchanged afterwards
into the 4th--he is such a nice fellow. I lunched every day at Ascot this
year on the 16th's drag. The first day I met Lester--that's the major,
you know--and Lester is _such_ a pet! He told me to come every day to
lunch, and bring any of my friends with me; so, of course, I did, and
there wasn't a better lunch on the course; and, on the cup-day, Archdale
came up and talked to me--he abused the champagne-cup, though; he said
there was more soda-water than champagne in it--the more he drank of it
the more dreadfully sober he got. However, I am invited to lunch with the
4th at Goodwood. They are going to have a spread under the trees, so I
shall be able to compare notes about the champagne-cup. I know two other
men in the 4th; Hopkins and Lambert; do you know them?" and so on, until
pretty well half the army list and all the luncheon-giving regiments in
the service had been passed under review.

And there, straight opposite to him, was Vera, laughing at his
discomfiture, he was sure, but also listening to the flattering rubbish
which that odious little Frenchman was pouring into her ears.

Did ever young man sit through such a detestable and abominable repast?

If Denis Wilde had been rash enough to nourish insane hopes with regard
to moonlight wanderings in the pleasant garden after dinner, these hopes
were destined to be blighted.

They were a party of twelve; the waiting was bad, and the courses
numerous; the dinner was a lengthy affair altogether. By the time it was
over, and coffee had been discussed on the terrace outside the house, the
carriages came round to the door, and the ladies of the party voted that
it was time to go home.

Soon everybody stood clothed in summer ulsters or white dust-cloaks,
waiting in the hall. The coach started from the door with much noise
and confusion, with a good deal of plunging from the leaders, and some
jibbing from the wheelers, accompanied by a very feeble performance on
that much-abused instrument, the horn, by an amateur who occupied a back
seat; and after it had departed, a humble train of neat broughams and
victorias came trooping up in its wake.

"You will see," said nonentity number one, in her friend's ear; "you will
see that Nevill girl wi