on to such a model of discretion as himself amounted
almost to an insult. A very paragon of valets was Smithson--could be
relied on to be mute as a fish concerning his master's doings, unless
paid to be otherwise, when he of course held to the accepted traditions
of his class.

After a previous conference with the stable authorities, Jim Bloxam at
breakfast proposed the Trotbury expedition. Lady Mary listened to the
proposed excursion at first with some misgivings. She expected to hear
it announced that the Chipchase girls had been already asked to join
the party. They had been thus invited so often before, that they would
have been quite justified in themselves proposing to do so on hearing
such an expedition was in contemplation; but no, neither from Blanche
nor Jim came a hint of such being the case; and then Lady Mary
expressed most unqualified approval of the idea. It was settled that
they should start punctually at twelve; and as Mr. Cottrell had not as
yet made his appearance, Lady Mary very thoughtfully sent a message up
to his room to inform him of what was in contemplation. The breakfast
party had nearly all dispersed, even the late comers had thrown their
napkins on the table, and yet the hostess, usually one of the first to
bustle off upon her own private affairs, still lingered over the
_Morning Post_.

"Come, mother," said Jim, suddenly putting his head into the room, "if
you have finished. I want you to help me to tell people off. The
governor is not coming; so that leaves his hack at our disposal. I
thought if we gave that to Sartoris, Beauchamp and myself can take the
hunters, Blanche has her own horse, and the rest of you can go quite
comfortably in the break. I told them to take the hood off. And as
for Braybrooke, he is going over to Rockcliffe to see some chum of his
who is quartered there."

"I have no doubt, my dear Jim, that will all do very well," replied
Lady Mary. "I don't think I shall go myself; and Mrs. Evesham is also,
I fancy, of my way of thinking."

"All right, then; I shall consider that as settled;" and with that
observation Jim left his mother once more in the undisturbed enjoyment
of her paper.

But whether the proceedings of her Majesty's Government, or whether the
denunciation of her Majesty's Opposition, were not to her liking; or
whether the perusal of the Court news had disturbed her serenity;
whether it was that the latest discovery in tenors was reported
st