usion to the sugar, in consideration
of the bright face that looked up at him, and so the storm lulled for
the present.

This was Owen's fourth day at Abertewey, and it was a facsimile of the
second, with the exception that Mr and Miss Simpson and Mr Deep did not
go to the dinner-party to which the rest went, at a neighbouring country
house, so Owen had company at dinner, and was ordered by Netta to do the
honours.

Miss Simpson refused to play whist, and Owen declined billiards, so
whilst Mr Deep got as much money as he could out of Mr Simpson, Owen
devoted himself and his captivating beard to Miss Simpson.

In the course of conversation that young lady informed him that she and
her brother intended leaving Abertewey the following week, and that she
supposed the rest of the party would soon follow for the Ascot Races,
and she hoped Owen would join them; she was sure her papa and mamma
would be very glad to see him. She also let out that her brother,
Captain Dancy, and Howel had heavy bets on the different horses that
were to run, and that she expected there would be great excitement. As
to Mr Deep, nobody quite knew what he did, he was so very reserved and
quiet.

Owen stayed on at Abertewey day after day, he scarcely knew why. In the
first place, he was very well amused, and liked his quarters. In the
second, his new friends all liked him; the women for his good looks and
open-hearted civility, the men, because he took his own course and did
not interfere with them, and was a very amusing fellow besides. In the
third place, he stayed on because he felt anxious about Howel and Netta
and their way of beginning life. He had been a man careless of money
himself all his days, but he had been, as the saying goes, no one's
enemy but his own--he feared that Howel might turn out, not only his own
foe but the foe of others, since he perceived that the propensities of
his unmonied youth were strengthening and maturing in his monied
manhood. He had no opinion of any man who would fleece another, and he
saw that Howel and Mr Deep were preying upon the simple, conceited Mr
Simpson, and the careless, lavish Sir Samuel Spendall. As to Mr Deep, he
watched his opportunity of outwitting either of the four as it offered.

Saturday came and passed, as usual, in visiting and gambling. A good
many of the sporting men of the country called to see Howel's famous
race-horse, Campaigner, in training for the St Leger, and to indulge in
a l