e than one celebrated Scottish name,
which had been written and illustrated by Julius Delamayn. Visitors
to Swanhaven Lodge were invariably presented with a copy of the volume
(privately printed). One in twenty read it. The rest were "charmed," and
looked at the pictures.

The day was the last day of August, and the occasion was the
garden-party given by Mr. and Mrs. Delamayn.

Smith and Jones--following, with the other guests at Windygates, in Lady
Lundie's train--exchanged their opinions on the merits of the house,
standing on a terrace at the back, near a flight of steps which led down
into the garden. They formed the van-guard of the visitors, appearing by
twos and threes from the reception rooms, and all bent on going to see
the swans before the amusements of the day began. Julius Delamayn came
out with the first detachment, recruited Smith and Jones, and other
wandering bachelors, by the way, and set forth for the lake. An interval
of a minute or two passed--and the terrace remained empty. Then two
ladies--at the head of a second detachment of visitors--appeared under
the old stone porch which sheltered the entrance on that side of the
house. One of the ladies was a modest, pleasant little person, very
simply dressed. The other was of the tall and formidable type of "fine
women," clad in dazzling array. The first was Mrs. Julius Delamayn. The
second was Lady Lundie.

"Exquisite!" cried her ladyship, surveying the old mullioned windows
of the house, with their framing of creepers, and the grand stone
buttresses projecting at intervals from the wall, each with its bright
little circle of flowers blooming round the base. "I am really grieved
that Sir Patrick should have missed this."

"I think you said, Lady Lundie, that Sir Patrick had been called to
Edinburgh by family business?"

"Business, Mrs. Delamayn, which is any thing but agreeable to me, as one
member of the family. It has altered all my arrangements for the autumn.
My step-daughter is to be married next week."

"Is it so near as that? May I ask who the gentleman is?"

"Mr. Arnold Brinkworth."

"Surely I have some association with that name?"

"You have probably heard of him, Mrs. Delamayn, as the heir to Miss
Brinkworth's Scotch property?"

"Exactly! Have you brought Mr. Brinkworth here to-day?"

"I bring his apologies, as well as Sir Patrick's. They went to Edinburgh
together the day before yesterday. The lawyers engage to have the
settlemen