y shilling."

"Here--take ten pounds," said Trevor, hastily; "and go on, there's a
good fellow."

"No; five will do for him," said Frank. "And now I shall have to play
my best, to make it last."

"Frank, old boy, you're a trump. I don't know what I should have done
without you."

"I always was a young man who could make himself generally useful," said
Pratt. "Good luck to you, old boy!"

He sighed, though, and looked rather gloomy as he went out to seek the
friends whom he had left in the smoking-room, where Vanleigh was in
anything but a good humour, and had been pouring a host of complaints
into Sir Felix's ear. It was foolish of them to come down to such an
out-of-the-way place; they should be eaten up with ennui. Why didn't
Trevor order horses round? The wines weren't good; and he hadn't smoked
such bad weeds for years.

"Must make the best of a bad bargain," said Sir Felix. "Must stay--
week."

"Oh! we'll stay a month now we are here," said Vanleigh; "let's punish
him somehow. What do you say to having a smoke outside?"

"I'm 'greeable," said Sir Felix; and they passed out through the window.

Five minutes after Pratt entered the room, with--

"Now, Vanleigh, I'll play a--Hallo! where the deuce are they?"

He walked hastily into the billiard-room, expecting to find a game
begun; but, of course, they were not there.

"Gone to write letters," he muttered; and he went into the library.

Then he entered the drawing-room, the dining-room, the conservatory.
Ran up and knocked at their bedroom doors, and then ran down again.

"Having a weed in the garden," said Pratt, "of course. How provoking!"

He took a hat and ran out to the summer-house, garden chairs being set
out beneath the various favourite trees, and at last caught sight of a
couple of figures in the distance, evidently making for the sea.

"That must be them," he said; and he started off in full chase.

Meanwhile Trevor had hurried off; and as he left the house, Mrs Lloyd
came into the hall, and then watched him from a side window.

"Yes!" she said; "he's gone that way again--I thought he would. He's
sure to meet her."

Mrs Lloyd was quite right; for a quarter of a mile out of the grounds,
and down the principal lane, he saw a white dress, and his heart gave a
bound, but only to calm down in its throbbing as he saw that it was
little Polly, who advanced to meet him with a very warm blush on her
face.

"Hallo! little maid," he