ured, where everybody seemed to
acknowledge that pleasure was the one object of life! On the evening
before the Friday she was taken out to dinner by Captain Batsby.
She was not sure that she liked Captain Batsby, who made little
complimentary speeches to her. But her neighbour on the other side
was Colonel Stubbs, and she was quite sure that she liked Colonel
Stubbs.

"I know you'll go like a bird to-morrow," said Captain Batsby.

"I shouldn't like that, because there would be no jumping," said
Ayala.

"But you'd be such a beautiful bird." The Captain, as he drawled out
his words, made an eye at her, and she was sure that she did not like
the Captain.

"At what time are we to start to-morrow?" she said, turning to the
Colonel.

"Ten, sharp. Mind you're ready. Sir Harry takes us on the drag, and
wouldn't wait for Venus, though she wanted five minutes more for her
back hair."

"I don't suppose she ever wants any time for her back hair. I
wouldn't if I were a goddess."

"Then you'd be a very untidy goddess, that's all. I wonder whether
you are untidy."

"Well;--yes;--sometimes."

"I hate untidy girls."

"Thank you, Colonel Stubbs."

"What I like is a nice prim little woman, who never had a pin in the
wrong place in her life. Her cuffs and collars are always as stiff
as steel, and she never rubs the sleeves of her dresses by leaning
about, like some young ladies."

"That's what I do."

"My young woman never sits down lest she should crease her dress. My
young woman never lets her ribbons get tangled. My young woman can
dress upon L40 a-year, and always look as though she came out of a
band-box."

"I don't believe you've got a young woman, Colonel Stubbs."

"Well; no; I haven't,--except in my imagination."

If so, he too must have his Angel of Light! "Do you ever dream about
her?"

"Oh dear, yes. I dream that she does scold so awfully when I have her
to myself. In my dreams, you know, I'm married to her, and she always
wants me to eat hashed mutton. Now, if there is one thing that makes
me more sick than another it is hashed mutton. Of course I shall
marry her in some of my waking moments, and then I shall have to eat
hashed mutton for ever."

Then Captain Batsby put in another word. "I should so like to be
allowed to give you a lead to-morrow."

"Oh, thank you,--but I'd rather not have it," said Ayala, who was
altogether in the dark, thinking that "a lead" might be some present
which she would