124 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



with it, I should think. I begin to fancy that my affaire de 

 ca'ur with Adela is on the wane, and I really believe she's 

 getting genuinely fond of Haughtyshire, although she pretends 

 she isn't to me. Well, he's a deuced good fellow, with all his 

 faults, and Adela would make him a model Duchess. But what 

 of poor Gravity? Would he call her 'Mamma,' I wonder! " 

 And the thought so tickled Ronald that he was still laughing 

 when he came face to face with Miss Penelope Binkie. 



She had just been returned to the charge of her mother by 

 Monsieur le Baron, with whom she had had a most enjoyable 

 waltz. He had asked her for another, a little later on, and 

 then for a third. He was again making his way through the 

 crowd in her direction — after a very satisfactory interview 

 with his host as to the lady's pecuniary position — when 

 Dennison, with a shrewd guess as to how the land lay, 

 thought it time to cut in on his own behalf. He rapidly put 

 his name down on her programme for some three or four 

 dances, and immediately carried her off to a seat beneath 

 some tall palms, for a quiet chat. 



Mr. and Mrs. Binkie still stood together in one corner of 

 the room, feeling somewhat 'out of it.' Mr. Yarboro had 

 been up and chatted a few minutes with them, as had 

 Mr. Eonald Dennison, but now they were left alone again. 



Jack Dashwood and Sir Tommy had not thought it at all 

 inconsistent with their duty to their host and hostess to turn 

 their backs on them directly they arrived, and go off on 

 their own affairs. They also, by common consent, shunted 

 Travers, who hardly got a dance during the early portion of 

 the evening. Jack was hunting fruitlessly for heiresses, and 

 Tommy for some chance friend who w^'ould lend him a tenner, 



