wanted to fight a duel with me once. At all events, the
welcome I got last night will make me remember them kindly in future."

"I must go down and call there before they go," said Mrs. Buckley.
"People who have been our neighbours so many years must not go away
without a kind farewell. Was Desborough there?"

"Indeed, he was. Don't you know he is related to the Donovans?"

"Impossible!"

"Fact, my dear, I assure you, according to Mrs. Donovan, who told me
that the De Novans and the Desboroughs were cognate Norman families,
who settled in Ireland together, and have since frequently
inter-married."

"I suppose," said Mrs. Buckley, laughing, "that Desborough did not deny
it."

"Not at all, my dear: as he said to me privately, 'Buckley, never deny
a relationship with a man worth forty thousand pounds, the least penny,
though your ancestors' bones should move in their graves.'"

"I suppose," said Mrs. Buckley, "that he made himself as agreeable as
usual."

"As usual, my dear! He made even Brentwood laugh; he danced all the
evening with that giddy girl Lesbia Burke, who let slip that she
remembered me at Naples in 1805, when she was there with that sad old
set, and who consequently must be nearly as old as myself."

"I hope you danced with her," said Mrs. Buckley.

"Indeed I did, my dear. And she wore a wreath of yellow chrysanthemum,
no other flowers being obtainable. I assure you we 'kept the flure' in
splendid style."

They were all laughing at the idea of the Major dancing, when Sam
exclaimed, "Good Lord!"

"What's the matter my boy?" said the Major.

"I must cry peccavi," said Sam. "Father, you will never forgive me! I
forgot till this moment a most important message. I was rather knocked
up, you see, and went to sleep, and that sent it out of my head."

"You are forgiven, my boy, be it what it may. I hope it is nothing very
serious."

"Well, it is very serious," said Sam. "As I was coming by Hanging Rock,
I rode up to the door a minute, to see if Cecil was at home,--and Mrs.
Mayford came out and wanted me to get off and come in, but I hadn't
time; and she said, 'The Dean is coming here to-night, and he'll be
with you to-morrow night, I expect. So don't forget to tell your
mother.'"

"To-morrow night!" said Mrs. Buckley, aghast. "Why, my dear, boy, that
is to-night! What shall I do?"

"Nothing at all, my love," said the Major, "but make them get some
supper ready. He can't have expected us to wait