eeting him two or three times at dinners
and so on last season. He was away when I was at home before going
out to India, and he had sold his estate before I came back."

"They say he has been very lucky on the turf, and has made a pot of
money."

"So I have heard," Frank said; "but, you see, one generally hears
of men's good luck, and not of their bad. Besides, many men do most
of their real betting through commissioners, especially if they own
horses themselves. He is a fellow I don't much care for, and I hope
that whomever Miss Greendale may marry, he will not be the man."

"I thought, when you first asked me down last year, that you had
got up the party specially for her, Mallett, and that you were
going in for the prize yourself. But of course I soon saw that I
was mistaken, as you were altogether too good chums for that to
come about. I have often noticed that men and girls who are thrown
a lot together are often capital friends, but, although just the
pair you would think would come together, that they hardly ever do
so. I have noticed it over and over again. Well, she is an
uncommonly nice girl, whoever gets her."

Frank did not return to town until the end of June.

"I have to congratulate you upon the Osprey's victory," Bertha
said, the first time he called to see them. "You may imagine with
what interest I read the accounts of the yacht races. I saw you won
two on the Thames, and were first once and second once at
Southampton."

"Yes, the Osprey has shown herself to be, as I thought, an
uncommonly fast boat. We should have had two firsts at Southampton,
if the pilot had not cut matters too fine and run us aground just
opposite Netley; we were a quarter of an hour before we were off
again. We picked up a lot of our lost ground and got a second, but
were beaten eight minutes by the winner."

"Have you entered for the Queen's Cup at Ryde?"

"I have not entered yet, but I am going to do so," he said.

"Mamma and I will be down there. Lord Haverley--he is first cousin
to mamma, you know--has taken a house there for the month, and he
is going to have a large party, and we are going down for Ryde
week."

"Yes, and there will be the Victoria Yacht Club ball, and all sorts
of gaieties. I have not entered yet, but I am going to do so. The
entries do not close till next Saturday."

"You will call and see us, of course, Frank?" Lady Greendale said.
"Haverley has a big schooner yacht, and I dare say we shal