not being able to spell my own name, I
kept it for myself. I was further commanded to adhere strictly to the
motto."

"And 'avoid talkative people.' Curious, very," observed Mr. Cottrell,
as he put down the cigar-case, wondering not a little who gave the
commission, and for whom the case was originally intended; but he of
course refrained from further inquiry.

CHAPTER XI.

THE RINGING OF THE BELLES.

The more Lady Mary heard of this water party, the more determined she
was to attend it. True, her pet design, the establishment of her
daughter, seemed to be running awry, but there was no occasion as yet
for abandoning it. There was evidently something wrong between Blanche
and Lionel Beauchamp, but that could never be put right by persistently
avoiding him. Whatever the cloud between them, it was little likely to
be dispelled if they never met. Then again, why should she facilitate
matters for that odious Mrs. Wriothesley and her saucy chit of a niece?
No; all the sporting blood of the Ditchins boiled in Lady Mary's veins
as she muttered,

"Margaret Wriothesley may stand in my way again, as indeed she has all
her life; but she sha'n't, at all events, be treated to the luxury of a
'walk over.'"

Not encountering Mr. Cottrell in the course of the next two or three
days, she dropped him a line of inquiry as to the composition of this
coming water party, and concluded her note with--

"Blanche is most provoking. She has evidently had some tiff with
Lionel Beauchamp. She is very resolute about not going to this
affair--hints mysteriously she wants to know something, and declines to
say what. I have no patience with such nonsense; and if I hear from
you that the right people will be there, shall insist upon her going.
Her thirst for knowledge applies, I suspect, to some proceedings of Mr.
Beauchamp's. If she would only confide what it is to me, I have little
doubt I could put her mind at rest in eight and forty hours.

"Yours sincerely,
"MARY BLOXAM."

Mr. Cottrell received this note the morning after he had dined and
supped in Hans Place. Putting one thing and the other together, he
began to have a tolerable inkling of how matters stood. He was looking
forward to spending rather a pleasant day at this party of Beauchamp's,
and he now saw the possibility of adding still greater zest to his
enjoyment by pulling the strings of one of those small social dramas so
constantly occurring in our m