, a little
cheating and some disputes, as is the usual custom. All this appeared
to amuse Oscar de Talbrun--exceedingly. For the first time during his
wooing he was not bored. The Misses Sparks--Kate and Nora--by their
"high spirits" agreeably reminded him of one or two excursions he had
made in past days into Bohemian society.

He formed the highest opinion of Jacqueline when he saw how her
still short skirts showed pretty striped silk stockings, and how
her well-shaped foot was planted firmly on a blue ball, when she was
preparing to roquer the red one. The way in which he fixed his eyes upon
her gave great offense to Fred, and did it not alarm and shock Giselle?
No! Giselle looked on calmly at the fun and talk around her, as unmoved
as the stump of a tree, spoiling the game sometimes by her ignorance
or her awkwardness, well satisfied that M. de Talbrun should leave her
alone. Talking with him was very distasteful to her.

"You have been more stupid than usual," had been what her grandmother
had never failed to say to her in Paris after one of his visits, which
he alternated with bouquets. But at Treport no one seemed to mind her
being stupid, and indeed M. de Talbrun hardly thought of her existence,
up to the moment when they were all nearly caught by the first wave that
came rolling in over the croquet-ground, when all the girls took flight,
flushed, animated, and with lively gesticulation, while the gentlemen
followed with the box into which had been hastily flung hoops, balls,
and mallets.

On their way Count Oscar condescendingly explained to Fred, as to a
novice, that the only good thing about croquet was that it brought men
and girls together. He was himself very good at games, he said, having
remarkably firm muscles and exceptionally sharp sight; but he went on to
add that he had not been able to show what he could do that day. The wet
sand did not make so good a croquet-ground as the one he had had made in
his park! It is a good thing to know one's ground in all circumstances,
but especially in playing croquet. Then, dexterously passing from the
game to the players, he went on to say, under cover of giving Fred a
warning, that a man need not fear going too far with those girls from
America--they had known how to flirt from the time they were born. They
could look out for themselves, they had talons and beaks; but up to a
certain point they were very easy to get on with. Those other players
were queer litt