ndow. 'Good-morning, how early you are,' he says.

'Only punctual,' replies Philippa; 'isn't it a lovely day again. I can't
think how the others can be so lazy. Come into the garden, do.'

Paul acquiesces. He has taken a great liking to Miss Seaton. 'Did you
like the ball?' he asks.

'Oh, so much,' replies she, 'wasn't it lovely. I wish it could come all
over again.'

'Do you?' he says.

'Well, perhaps not quite all,' she answers, blushing suddenly at the
remembrance of her interview with Harkness.

'Which portion could you do without. The quarter of an hour before you
ran into the shrubbery and nearly knocked me down?'

'Did I?' is the reply.

'Indeed you _did_,' says Ponsonby, laughing, 'and you looked so fierce I
was afraid to go after you and fled in the opposite direction, leaving
you to vent your wrath on Dalrymple whom I had just left.'

'I am very glad you did,' says Lippa, with a little conscious laugh.
'Two's company, three's none.'

'Yes,' replies Paul, quietly, and then a pause ensues.

'Oughtn't I to have said that?' asks Philippa, suddenly looking up into
his face. 'Because--well ... you see, if you'd been there--now, if I
tell you something, promise to keep it a secret,' this very persuasively
and slipping her arm through his.

'On my word and honour,' Paul answers.

'Well, Mr Dalrymple asked me--to--marry him--there!'

'What, Jimmy!' exclaims Paul. 'I'm so glad; he's quite the nicest fellow
I know. I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart.'

'Thank you,' says Lippa, simply. 'But you won't tell anybody, will you?
Nobody knows, not even Mabel--'

'But, my dear child, why did you tell _me_, of all people first?' asks
he.

'I had to tell somebody, and I know George couldn't keep anything from
Mabel, or Mabel from him.'

'I hope you will be very happy, but look, Lady Dadford is beckoning to
us--'

'What early birds you are,' says her ladyship. 'I needn't ask if you are
the worse for last night's dissipation, for you don't look it, either of
you--'

'I'm sure Philippa will say that it did her an immense amount of good,'
replies Paul, with a wink at Lippa, which makes her tremble in her
shoes as to what may be coming next.

It has been arranged that the whole of the party should go for a picnic
to a spot about five miles off. 'Just to get out of the way,' says Lord
Dadford, 'while the house is being put straight again; sort yourselves,
sort yourselves,' he adds, standing at the