think in these cases it
is just as well to assist nature by a little judicious forcing."

"Exactly. You see, a good-looking girl has such a pull in a country
house, and when she is the only good-looking one, has it all her own
way; and I need scarcely say I have taken care of that."

"Ahem! Todborough lies dangerously near to that most popular of
watering-places, Commonstone," observed Cottrell; "and there is always
attractive mettle to be found there."

"But I don't intend we shall ever go near it," replied her ladyship
quickly. "We'll make up riding parties, plan excursions to Trotbury,
and so on. Just the people in the house, you know, and the rector's
daughters, nice pleasant unaffected girls, who, though not plain----"

"Cannot be counted dangerous," interposed Cottrell. "I understand. I
congratulate you on your diplomacy, Lady Mary. By the way, who is your
rector?"

"The Rev. Austin Chipchase. A good orthodox old-fashioned parson,
thank goodness, with no High Church fads or Low Church proclivities."

"Chipchase? Ahem! I met an uncommon pretty girl of that name down in
Suffolk last autumn, when I was staying at Hogden's place."

At this juncture the door opened, and the object of all this maternal
solicitude entered the room. Her mother did Blanche Bloxam scant
justice when she called her a good-looking girl. She was more than
that; she might most certainly have been called a very good-looking
girl of the thoroughly Saxon type--tall and well made, with a profusion
of fair sunny hair, and deep blue eyes. Blanche was a girl no man
would ever overlook, wherever he might come across her.

"What state secrets are you two talking," she exclaimed, "that you pay
no attention to the bell? Come to lunch, mamma, please; for we have
been playing lawn tennis all the morning, and are well-nigh distraught
with hunger."

Lady Mary rose and followed her daughter to the dining-room, where the
whole of the house party were assembled round the luncheon-table. It
consisted, besides the family and Mr. Cottrell, of a Mr. and Mrs.
Evesham and their two daughters--"such amiable girls, you know," as
Lady Mary always said of them; a Mr. and Mrs. Sartoris, a young married
couple; Jim Bloxam, the dragoon; and a Captain Braybrooke, a brother
officer of his.

"Come along, mother," exclaimed Jim. "Mrs. Sartoris has given me such
a dusting at lawn tennis this morning that no amount of brown sherry
and pigeon-pie will s