last he dragged the sleeve of his shirt out of the socket, and had to
retire into private life behind a tree, in company with Mrs. Eccles and
a needle and thread. But he reappeared again, and was soon swept into a
game of cricket that was being got up among the elder boys; bowled the
school-master; batted brilliantly and with considerable flourish for a
few moments, only to knock his own wickets down with what seemed
singular want of care; and then fielded with cat-like activity and an
entire oblivion of the game, receiving a swift ball on his own person,
only to choke, coil himself up, and recover his equanimity and the ball
in a moment.

All things come to an end, and at last the Slumberleigh church clock
struck four, and Ruth could sink giddily onto a bench, and push back
the few remaining hair-pins that were left to her, and feebly endeavor,
with a pin eagerly extracted by Dare from the back of his neck, to join
the gaping ruin of torn gathers in her dress, so daintily fresh two
hours ago, so dilapidated now.

"There they come!" said Mrs. Alwynn, indignantly, who was fanning
herself with her pocket-handkerchief, which stout women ought to be
forbidden by law to do. "There are Mrs. Thursby and Mabel. Just like
them, arriving when the games are all over! And, dear me! who is that
with them? Why, it is Sir Charles Danvers. I had no idea he was staying
with them. Brown particularly told me they had not brought back any
friend with them yesterday. Dear me! How odd! And Brown--"

"Sir Charles Danvers is staying at Atherstone," said Ruth.

"At Atherstone, is he? Well, my dear, this is the first I have heard of
it, if he is. I don't see what there is to make a secret of in _that_.
Most natural he should be staying there, I should have thought. And, if
that's one of Mabel's new gowns, all I can say is that yours is quite as
nice, Ruth, though I know it is from last year, and those full fronts as
fashionable as ever."

As Mr. and Mrs. Alwynn went forward to meet the Thursbys, Charles
strolled up to Ruth, and planted himself deliberately in front of her.

"You observe that I am here?" he said.

"I do."

"At the proper time?"

"At the proper time."

"And in my sphere? I have tampered with no buns, you will remark, and
teapots have been far from me."

"I am exceedingly rejoiced my little word in season has been of such
use."

"It has, Miss Deyncourt. The remark you made this morning I considered
honest, though po