honour of coming to Turnover Park on Monday the
6th October, and staying till Saturday the 11th.

"That's an instalment indeed," said Mrs. Fenwick. "And now what on
earth are we to do?" The Vicar admitted that it had become very
serious. "We must either go, and endure a terrible time of it,"
continued Mrs. Fenwick, "or we must show him very plainly that we
will have nothing more to do with him. I don't see why we are to be
annoyed, merely because he is a Marquis."

"It won't be because he is a Marquis."

"Why then? You can't say that you love the old man, or that the
Ladies Sophie and Carolina Stowte are the women you'd have me choose
for companions, or that that soapy, silky, humbugging Lord St. George
is to your taste."

"I am not sure about St. George. He can be everything to everybody,
and would make an excellent bishop."

"You know you don't like him, and you know also that you will have a
very bad time of it at Turnover."

"I could shoot pheasants all the week."

"Yes,--with a conviction at the time that the Ladies Sophie and
Carolina were calling you an infidel behind your back for doing so.
As for myself I feel perfectly certain that I should spar with them."

"It isn't because he's a Marquis," said the Vicar, carrying on his
argument after a long pause. "If I know myself, I think I may say
that that has no allurement for me. And, to tell the truth, had he
been simply a Marquis, and had I been at liberty to indulge my own
wishes, I would never have allowed myself to be talked out of my
righteous anger by that soft-tongued son of his. But to us he is a
man of the very greatest importance, because he owns the land on
which the people live with whom we are concerned. It is for their
welfare that he and I should be on good terms together; and therefore
if you don't mind the sacrifice, I think we'll go."

"What;--for the whole week, Frank?"

The Vicar was of opinion that the week might be judiciously
curtailed by two days; and, consequently, Mrs. Fenwick presented her
compliments to the Ladies Sophie and Carolina Stowte, and expressed
the great pleasure which she and Mr. Fenwick would have in going to
Turnover Park on the Tuesday, and staying till the Friday.

"So that I shall only be shooting two days," said the Vicar, "which
will modify the aspect of my infidelity considerably."

They went to Turnover Castle. The poor old Marquis had rather a bad
time of it for the hour or two previous to their