154 ^r. and Mrs. Sparkler, 



Mrs. Sparkler were expected to arrive at Crackleton 

 Court on a certain day, and were pretty certain to attend 

 the meet of Lord Daisyfield's hounds at No Man's Land, 

 the morning but one after, the universal cry of the neigh- 

 bours was : " We will be there.''' 



And they were there, too, to some tune, as the hunts- 

 man, Tom Tootler, who had not been honoured with so 

 large a field for some time, declared. Mrs. Gapeseed was 

 there, you may depend, occupying, indeed, a seat in her 

 friend Mrs. Timmins's barouche (Mrs. G., herself, only 

 sporting a nondescript sort of vehicle of the '' one 'oss 

 shay " order), and, to insure an extra good view of the 

 bride, that enterprising lady had taken the precaution to 

 bring her opera-glasses along with her. All eyes, with 

 one accord, were turned towards the point whence the 

 party from the Court were bound to come, and at last, 

 after much straining of eyes, a cry came forth from the 

 carriages of '' Here they come ! " — reminding one somewhat 

 of the murmur that goes up from the crowd on a race- 

 course when the favourite for a great event emerges from 

 the paddock to take his preliminary canter. Up went 

 Mrs. Gapeseed's glasses to her eyes. '' I can see her ! " 

 exclaimed she. 



'' Can you ? " said Mrs. Timmins, clambering up on to 

 the seat in her excitement, and secretly envying her friend 

 the possession of her opera-glasses. " What is she like ? 

 do tell me," she exclaimed, quite unable to restrain her 

 curiosity. 



'' She — no ! I surely must make a mistake. Impossible ! 

 It is, I declare ! I do declare ! " exclaimed Mrs. Gapeseed, 

 sinking back into her seat, with a horrified countenance, 

 and handmg the opera-glasses to her friend. '' I do de- 



