i86 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



go to your father and ask his consent to-morrow. Then we 

 shall hear what he says." 



And so they parted, Konald with a new sense of responsi- 

 bility on his mind, which depressed, but at the same time 

 pleased him. 



Whilst this little love scene was enacting outside the gates 

 of The Chase, Travers and Lucretia were what the former 

 called ' going it ' in the drawing-room of Catchem Court ; for 

 they were sitting hand-in-hand on the sofa, and the susceptible 

 Trousers had just taken the plunge, and asked Luty to be his 

 own, his very own, and Luty had consented to be a party 

 to that ultra-proprietary arrangement. 



On the following day Travers arrived home, and started 

 at once for the study to ' tell Pa ' the great news. He was 

 gently restrained by the gorgeous Mortimer, who informed 

 him that Mr. Eonald Dennison was, at that moment, inter- 

 viewing Mr. Septimus Binkie in his own apartment. Travers 

 therefore postponed his own important announcement for the 

 moment, and went upstairs to find Jack and Sir Tommy. 

 The former, wearing a gaudily-trimmed loose silk dressing 

 jacket of Travers's, was gracefully reclining in an easy-chair, 

 his feet resting on the mantelpiece, and ' Jorrocks ' set upon 

 the natural reading-desk made of his legs. Sir Tommy was 

 perusing the Sportinci Life and marking down what he called 

 ' a snip ' for a steeplechase at Kempton, and both gentlemen 

 were pulling away contentedly at their host's Cabanas. 



" Come in, old chap ! " exclaimed Jack, as if he were 

 welcoming a guest, "you'll find a chair somewhere or other. 

 And how have you enjoyed yourself? " 



" Oh, I've had a doosid fine time ! Are those letters for 



