to do with him, but you must take good care of him. He is a most
valuable secretary, and an estimable young man. As soon as you have done
with him please send him back."

"I am glad he is estimable," said Mrs. Easterfield to herself. "That
will make the matter more satisfactory to Tom when I explain it to him."

When Dick Lancaster, properly booted and wearing a felt hat, returned
the borrowed horse, he was met by Mr. Locker, who had been wandering
about the front of the house, and when he had dismounted Dick was
somewhat surprised by the hearty handshake he received.

"I am sorry to have to tell you," said the poet, "that there is another
one."

"Another what?" asked Dick.

"Another unnecessary victim," replied Locker. And with this he returned
to the front of the house.

At last Olive came down the stairs, and she was alone. Locker stepped
quickly up to her.

"If I should marry," he said, "would I be expected to entertain that
Austrian?"

She stopped, and gave the question her serious consideration. "I should
think," she said, "that that would depend a good deal upon whom you
should marry."

"How can you talk in that way?" he exclaimed. "As if there were anything
to depend upon!"

"Nothing to depend upon," said Olive, slightly raising her eyebrows.
"That is bad." And she went into the dining-room.

The afternoon was an exceptionally fine one, but the party at Broadstone
did not take advantage of it; there seemed to be a spirit of unrest
pervading the premises, and when the carriage started on a drive along
the river only Mr. and Mrs. Fox were in it. Mrs. Easterfield would not
leave Olive and Mr. Hemphill, and she did not encourage them to go.
Consequently there were three young men who did not wish to go.

"It seems to me," said Mr. Fox, as they rolled away, "that a young
woman, such as Miss Asher, has it in her power to interfere very much
with the social feeling which should pervade a household like this. If
she were to satisfy herself with attracting one person, all the rest of
us might be content to make ourselves happy in such fashions as might
present themselves."

"The rest of us!" exclaimed Mrs. Fox.

"Yes," replied her husband. "I mean you, and Mrs. Easterfield, and
myself, and the rest. That young woman's indeterminate methods of
fascination interfere with all of us."

"I don't exactly see how they interfere with me," said Mrs. Fox rather
stiffly.

"If the carriage had been filled, as