THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUXT. 15 



and then this Generalissimo in petticoats, having issued her 

 orders, sailed into the drawing-room, closely attended by her 

 dutiful and lovely daughter. 



In due course the visitor was ushered in by a resplendent 

 creature in plush and white stockings. Mrs. Binlde was 

 'discovered' as the playbooks say, in a becoming attitude 

 at the piano — not one note of which could she have played 

 had her life depended on it. The usual greetings over, the 

 lady of the house got on to the trail of the local bigwigs, 

 like a Brocklesby Eallywood on a fox. 



"Now tell me, Mr. Yarboro, what sort of a man is the 

 Dook? — affable to his neighbours, or not? I suppose he 

 wouldn't associate with such commonplace people as you and 

 me, now, would he? Does he ever give you an invite to 



the Castle?" 



Mr. Yarboro suppressed a quiet smile as he answered, 

 "Yes, Mrs. Binkie, I am often up at the Castle, and I can 

 assure you the Duke is always glad to see his neighbours." 



" Is he, now ? "vVell, I'm glad to hear that, anyway. Binkie, 

 made his money in trade, of course — merchant prince, and 

 all that — but we're not a bit proud, and not at all ashamed 

 of being merchant princes and princesses, oh dear no. Now, 

 I dessay you'd like to come here, one night, to dinner, and 

 see our pictures and furniture, and all that, wouldn't you ? 

 Well, you shall. Fact is, we — Binkie and me — believe in 

 associating with all sorts of people, and s'long as they're nice 

 and agreeable, why there you are, you know. And I dessay 

 it would be a little bit of a treat to you to walk round and 

 look at — ah, here is Binkie. Sep, this is the Reverend 

 Yarboro — Reverend Yarboro, Mr. Septimus Binkie." 



