e solitary duty for the five
weeks since the marriage, and was but slightly relieved by a crimson
sash.

Rosamond made some apology when she saw Cecil's dainty equipment.
"Dressed, you correct little thing! You put me to shame; but I had
no notion which box my evening things are in, and it would have been
serious to irritate the whole concern."

"And she was some time with Anne," added Julius.

"Ah! with my good will Anne should not have been here!" rejoined
Rosamond. "Didn't I meet old Mrs. Nurse at your threshold, with an
invitation from Mrs. Poynsett to dine with her in her room, and
didn't we find the bird flown at the first stroke of the gong?"

"Oh, I am very well!" repeated Anne.

Yet she was far more colourless than Julius, for her complexion was
not only faded by sickness, but was naturally of the whitest blonde
tint; the simple coils of her hair "lint white," and her eyes of the
lightest tint of pure blue. The features were of Scottish type, all
the more so from being exaggerated by recent illness; but they were
handsome enough to show that she must have been a bonnie lassie when
her good looks were unimpaired. Her figure far surpassed in height
that of both the other ladies, and was very slender, bending with
languor and fatigue in spite of her strenuous attempts to straighten
it. She was clad in a perfectly plain, almost quaker-looking light
dove-coloured silk dress, fitting closely, and unrelieved by any
ribbon or ornament of any description, so that her whole appearance
suggested nothing but the words "washed out."

It was clear that to let her alone was merciful, and there was no
lack of mutual communications among the rest. Frank and Charlie
gave their account of the condition of the game.

"Do you let your tenants shoot rabbits?" exclaimed Cecil, as if
scandalized. "We never do at Dunstone."

"It prevents an immense amount of discontent and ill-will and
underhand work," said Raymond.

"My father never will listen to any nonsense about rabbits,"
proceeded Cecil. "If you once begin there is no end to it, they are
sure to encroach. He just sends them a basket of game at the
beginning and end of the season."

"By the bye," said Raymond, "I hope ours have all been sent out as
usual."

"I can answer for a splendid one at our wedding breakfast," said
Rosamond. "The mess-man who came to help was lost in admiration.
Did you breakfast on ortolans, Cecil?"

"Or on nightingales' tongues?"