t, Hampy; this tiresome pencil's got no point again."

"Take mine, ma dear," said Fin.

"Thank you, my love. Now, pa."

"Er-rum," said Sir Hampton--"first, then, we'll have er--er--Sir Felix
Landells."

Aunt Matty bowed her head approvingly.

"E, double L, S," said Lady Rea, writing. "Don't shake me, Fin, there's
a dear."

For Lady Rea had come undone at the back of her dress, and Fin was busy
with a pin at her collar.

"Er-rum!" continued Sir Hampton. "Next we'll have Captain Vanleigh."

And he looked hard at Tiny, who bent lower over her plate.

"Van, I--tut-tut-tut, how do you spell leigh, e first or i first?" said
Lady Rea.

"Shall I write them down for you, Fanny?" said Aunt Matty.

"No, thank you, Matty," said Lady Rea, who was getting into a knot.
"There, I shall know what that means."

"Er-rum!" said Sir Hampton; "Mr Mervyn."

"La! Hampy," cried Lady Rea, looking up, "you haven't said Mr Trevor."

"Mister--er-rum--Mervyn!" exclaimed Sir Hampton, sharply.

"Oh, there, my dear, don't fly at me like that," cried Lady Rea. "M, e,
r, v, i--"

"Y, Fanny, y," said Aunt Matty, with a shudder.

"Oh yes, y, of course," said Lady Rea, good-humouredly; "y, n, Mervyn.
Next?"

The girls bent their heads--Tiny over her breakfast, Fin smoothing the
rather tousled hair of her mother.

"Er-rum, I suppose I must ask this--er-rum--Trevor."

"Surely, Hampton," exclaimed Aunt Matty, "you will not think of inviting
that objectionable person."

Fin glanced at her sister, whose face was crimson, and Lady Rea looked
pained. "Matty, my dear, I think you are wrong. I..."

"Have you got that name down, Lady Rea?" said Sir Hampton.

"No, dear; but I soon will have," said her ladyship, making her pencil
scramble over the tablet.

"Er-rum!" ejaculated Sir Hampton, rising, puffing himself out, and
walking slowly up and down the room; "a man in my position is obliged to
make sacrifices, and ask people to whom he objects. In the event of my
contesting the county such a man as this--er-rum--this--er-rum--Trevor
would be useful I thank you, Matty; you mean, er--mean--rum, well. Put
his name down, Fanny."

"I have, my love," said Lady Rea, beaming at her children.

"Hampton, I protest against this outrage," cried Aunt Matty, "after the
marked way in which he has--"

"Tiny, come and cut some flowers," said Fin; and her sister gladly beat
a retreat, Fin whispering as they went--"Will he ask the little man?"