little woman it is!" replied her husband
lazily. "I'll order the box; but you must pick up somebody else to do
'gooseberry' with you, as I can't come that night. It's hardly fair
upon Jim; but as I have found matrimony pleasant myself, I don't for
once mind being in the conspiracy. Besides, Sylla is a good sort if
she will only take a fancy to him: she seems rather inclined to avoid
him, it strikes me."

"Oh, you goose!" replied his wife. "Get me the box, and pray that you
may have decent luck at whist for the next few weeks; we shall want all
the sovereigns you can scrape together to buy wedding presents before
the season is out."

Lady Mary Bloxam was really very much to be pitied. Here was the
season slipping by, and the design with which she had opened the
campaign seemed further from accomplishment than ever. Worse than all,
her own daughter was playing into the hands of the enemy. There was no
disguising the fact. It was too palpably evident. There was something
wrong between Blanche and Lionel Beauchamp. The young lady treated him
with marked coldness, which he on his side resented. In vain did Lady
Mary cross-examine her daughter in the most insidious manner. Blanche
would own to no quarrel, nor assign any reason for their gradual
estrangement; but Lady Mary saw with dismay that the two were drifting
wider apart as the weeks wore on. That she should attribute all this
to Sylla and her designing aunt may be easily supposed. It was true
that in society Lionel Beauchamp could most certainly not be accused of
paying pronounced devotion to Miss Chipchase. But Lady Mary had ever a
picture before her mind of Beauchamp in a low chair, in the
drawing-room at Hans Place, making passionate love to Sylla; and her
dislike of that young lady was intensified accordingly. She was at
variance with her daughter just now on the subject of the invitation
they had received from Lionel Beauchamp for a water party down the
river, and about which she and Blanche were by no means of one mind.
Lady Mary was all for its acceptance, while Miss Bloxam persistently
advocated its refusal.

"You are too provoking, Blanche," exclaimed Lady Mary; "sometimes you
are dissatisfied because we have not cards for this, that, and the
other; and now we have an invitation for what promises to be a very
pleasant party, you not only declare you won't go, but won't give any
reason for declining."

"I say 'no' because I don't wish to go,