82 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



blue eye and the vacuous Kiiiile came to his aid, just as 

 speech again failed him. 



" Well, tell me now, what brought you up here this 

 morning?" said the charmer. 



" The train ; he, he, he ! " grinned Travers Algernon, 

 thinking he'd said something awfully funny and extremely 

 humorous. 



" Oh, g'long, do ! " giggled the lady, who, for thirty-two 

 years of age, was commendably playful and hoydenish. 

 " Shall I give you a glass of cherry brandy, now ? You will '? 

 Ah, I thought so," and she gave a coquettish swing of her 

 skirts as she turned round and perkily took down a bottle 

 from the shelf behind her. She poured out the rubicund 

 iluid into a small glass, from which Travers gently sipped. 

 Miss Turnover rested both elbows on the counter, and her 

 chin in her hands, as she gazed upon her ' Halgy's ' manly 

 beauty. Binkie smiled again, more inanely than ever. 



"And now tell me what you've come up to town for," 

 she said. 



"Oh, I've just run up to see a horse of mine sold," he 

 squeaked, and then added, by way of pleasant banter, " You'd 

 better come with me, Tots ! " 



" All right, I will ! " exclaimed the lady, vivaciously. " 'Ow 

 long will you give me to get ready'? I should love it — 

 with you, you know, Halgy ! " The aspirates always became 

 an uncertain quantity with Miss Turnover at moments of 

 excitement. 



Now this was ' a facer ' for Travers. He had not had the 

 faintest idea of being taken at his word in such a manner, and 

 he was, to put it mildly, very disconcerted at her reply. 



