170 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



came half -an -hour ago. And now come m, come in. Ladj^ 

 Lumpkin and the girls will be impatient to welcome you, I'm 

 sure;" which last statement was a euphemism, for, as a 

 matter of fact, Binkie had been asked to come in the after- 

 noon, and here he was turning up in time for luncheon. Lady 

 Lumpkin had been at her wits' end when, through the window, 

 she had seen him approaching, for she had nothing to put on 

 the table but the family cold mutton, which she had meant to 

 use up, and start with a ' clean slate ' at the first dinner. 



She had promptly bundled her three blessings off up- 

 stairs to change their frocks, whilst she herself hurriedly went 

 out to interview the cook on the all-important subject of what 

 the latter could produce at that short notice, to put before the 

 untimely guest. That ancient principle — the robbing of Peter 

 for the paying of Paul — came to her aid in this extremity, and 

 two or three things which had been intended to grace the 

 dinner-table were quickly requisitioned for the earlier meal, 

 and thus a fairly respectable show was made. 



Binkie entered the morning-room, after divesting himself of 

 his outer coverings, with great jauntiness. He had to be 

 content with his host's company for some time, and then 

 Lady Lumpkin came fussing in, wearing her best company 

 smile. A few minutes afterwards, first one and then another 

 of the younger ladies trickled through the door. Travers ogled 

 and kicked his legs out, and, generally speaking, contrived 

 to look a more egregious ass than usual, the while he thought 

 himself playing the finished ' man about town ' to perfection. 



After luncheon was over, Lucretia — who had had a tiff with 

 her two sisters that morning as to which of the three was to 

 have ' first run ' at Mr. Binkie's face and fortune — resolutely 



