THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 199 



again communicate with Sir Toodle when he felt sufficiently 

 recovered to do so. " 



The Lumpkins couldn't make this out at all. Mr. Binkie 

 had seemed perfectly well in health when he left them, and 

 even now he didn't allege any specific illness, but only that 

 he was suffering from a shock. What shock? Sir Toodle 

 couldn't understand it ; Lady Lumpkin couldn't understand 

 it, neither could the three Misses Lumpkin grasp its meaning. 

 Lucretia was a trifle dashed, but she was none the less, 

 determined. She had waited all these years for an offer ; 

 now she had got one, she was hardly the person to let it slip. 



On Christmas Day the two invited guests, Eonald Dennison 

 and his Indian friend — who had been a college chum of his^ 

 ten years before, and, as an enthusiastic horseman, had deter- 

 mined to revisit England for a little hunting in the shires — 

 duly arrived ten minutes before the dinner-hour. 



" Very kind of you to ask two lone males to share your 

 hospitality, Mrs. Binkie, to-day," said Eonald as he shook 

 hands with his hostess. " Let me introduce Prince Baboojee 

 Hurrycurree, of Chutneepore, an old friend of mine, and a 

 great sportsman. He's having a little hunting with me, just 

 at present." 



The Prince bowed courteously over Mrs. Binkie's hand. 

 He was an extremely good-looking young man, and not so 

 dark as the majority of Orientals. The enterprising hostess 

 at once began to think of possibilities in the way of a Prince 

 for a son-in-law. Perhaps this love affair of ' Penelly's ' with 

 Eonald was only skin-deep— they had known each other only so 

 short a time ; and then she thought to herself that the name 

 * Princess Penelope ' sounded almost regal in its magnificence. 



