o
come for me at nine. It was all settled, and I don't want to alarm Lord
Keith by coming home too soon."

Alick, who had hitherto listened with interest, here gave his arm to
Rachel, as if recollecting that it was time to make their entree. Bessie
took her uncle's, and they were soon warmly welcomed by their kind
hostess, who placed them so favourably at luncheon that Rachel was too
much entertained to feel any recurrence of the old associations with
"company." Afterwards, Bessie took her into the cool drawing-room, where
were a few ladies, who preferred the sofa to croquet or archery, and
Lady Keith accomplished a fraternization between Rachel and a plainly
dressed lady, who knew all about the social science heroines of whom
Rachel had longed to hear. After a time, however, a little girl darted
in to call "Aunt Mary" to the aid of some playfellow, who had met with
a mishap, and Rachel then perceived herself to have been deserted by
her sister-in-law. She knew none of the other ladies, and they made no
approaches to her; an access of self-consciousness came on, and feeling
forlorn and uncomfortable, she wandered out to look for a friend.

It was not long before she saw Alick walking along the terrace above
the croquet players, evidently in quest of her. "How is it with you?" he
anxiously asked; "you know you can go home in a moment if you have had
enough of this."

"No, I want nothing, now I have found you. Where is your uncle?"

"Fallen upon one of his oldest friends, who will take care of him, and
well out of the way of the croquet traps. Where's my Lady? I thought you
were with her."

"She disappeared while I was talking to that good Miss Penwell! You must
be pleased now, Alick, you see she is really going to see about going to
Scotland."

"I should be better pleased if she had not left that poor old man alone
till nine o'clock."

"She says that when he has his man Saunders to read to him--"

"Don't tell me what she says; I have enough of that at first hand."

He broke off with a start. The terrace was prolonged into a walk beyond
the screen of evergreens that shut in the main lawn, and, becoming a
shrubbery path, led to a smooth glade, on whose turf preparations had
been made for a second field of croquet, in case there should have been
too many players for the principal arena. This, however, had not been
wanted, and no one was visible except a lady and gentleman on a seat
under a tree about half-way dow