ugh to think over the
marriage,--pray let me order them to saddle Peter for you, and ride over
to the Burnside."

"Do so, Alice; I'm quite ready; but, first of all, give me my
instructions."

"We want Tony," broke in Bella.

"Yes; and insist on having him. He must be here by Monday night or
Tuesday morning, if it cost an express to go after him."

"We ought to bear in mind, girls, that Tony has not left home in pursuit
of pleasure. The poor fellow has had some call of urgency or necessity,
and our selfishness must not go the length of a cruelty."

"But with your nice tact, papa, you'll find out all that; you 'll learn,
in the course of conversation, whether anything of importance has called
him away, or whether it be not, as I half suspect, a sort of passing
caprice." And she looked significantly at Bella, and left her sentence
unfinished.

"Do you know of anything that should induce you to believe this, Alice?"

"Nothing more than a chance word that dropped from Mark this morning.
He took it into his head last night that poor Tony was presumptuous,
and gave himself airs,--Tony! of all creatures in the world; and so the
great hussar, in the plenitude of his regimental experiences, essayed
what he called 'to put him down'! Now, the chances are that this may
have occasioned some unpleasantness, and it is not in the least unlikely
may have led to Tony's departure."

"You must be right, Alice; and since we have been standing here at the
window, I saw Mrs. Butler's herd give Mark a letter, which, after
reading, he crushed impatiently in his hand and thrust into his pocket.
This decides me at once. I will go down to Mrs. Butler's without delay."

"Please explain that I have not called, solely because the carriage-road
is so bad. The drive down through that forest of fern and reeds is like
a horrid nightmare on me," said Lady Lyle.

"Well, I think I can apologize for your absence without telling her that
she lives in an unapproachable wilderness," said he, laughing; "and as
she cares little for visiting or being visited, the chances are my task
will be an easy one.

"Would you like me to go with you, papa?" asked Alice.

"Yes, by all means; but stay," added he, quickly, "it might possibly be
better not to come; if anything unpleasant should have occurred between
Mark and Tony, she will have less reluctance to speak of it when we are
alone."

They all agreed that this was well thought of, and soon after saw him