ys gets beat when it fights? Sarah!
Sarah! Get the people in for tea. Can't you see there's a shower coming?
Damn it all! And my second crop of hay's not in yet! That's what comes
of giving garden parties. Of course I'm very glad to see you all, but
you know what I mean. No shilly-shallying with the English climate's my
motto--it's the only dangerous thing we've got!"

Lady Staines disregarded this admonition. The light clouds above the
elms puffed idly in the heavy air. It was a hot bright day, murmurous
with bees and the idle, half notes of midsummer birds.

Estelle, in the most diaphanous of blue muslins, held a little court
under a gigantic mulberry tree. She had always intended marriage with a
Staines to be like this.

Winn was nowhere to be seen, and his mother plodded patiently to and fro
across the lawn, bringing a line of distinguished visitors to be
introduced to her.

They were kind, curt people who looked at Estelle rather hard, and asked
her absurd questions about Winn's regiment, Sir Peter's ships, and her
baby. They had no general ideas, but however difficult they were to talk
to, Estelle knew they were the right people to meet--she had seen their
names in magazines. None of her own family were there; they had all been
invited, but Estelle had preferred their remaining at home. She had once
heard Sir Peter refer to her father as "Old Moneybags." He had
apologized afterwards, but he might do it again.

Lady Staines was the only person who noticed the arrival of two
telegrams--they were taken to Charles and James, who were at that moment
in the refreshment tent opposite the claret cup. The telegrams arrived
simultaneously, and Charles said, "Good Lord!" and James said, "My hat!"
when they read the contents, with every symptom of surprise and
pleasure.

"I shouldn't have supposed," Lady Staines thought to herself, "that two
of my boys would have backed the same horse. It must be a coincidence."

They put the telegrams rather carefully away, and shortly afterwards she
observed that they had set off together in the direction of the village
sports.

The long golden twilight drew to a close, the swallows swooped and
circled above the heavy, darkened elms. The flowers in the long
herbaceous borders had a fragile look in the colorless soft air.

The garden party drifted slowly away.

Lady Staines stopped her daughter-in-law going into the house; but she
was destined never to tell her what she thought o