THE HAUGHTY SHIRE HUNT. 235 



"Well — er — you see, u\y dear fellow — er — I— I was going 

 to — to make a somewhat important communication to you — 

 to inform you, in short, of — of — an impending change which 

 — which may— I only say may — make — er — some difference to 

 you in your mode of life." 



" And so was I, sir ! " 



" The devil you were ! " exclaimed his astonished sire. 

 " You — you don't mean that you're going to get married ? " 



" That is exactl}^ what I do mean, sir. I — I thank you 

 for enabling me to get it out. I had thought that I should 

 have entirely failed to do so," he gasped. "I didn't know 

 how you'd take it." 



The Duke heaved a mighty sigh of relief as he strode over, 

 and warmly grasped his son's hand. 



" My dear boy, I congratulate you with all my heart. And 

 the fact is, I'm going to be married myself, so nothing could 

 be more opportune. I proposed to-day on the top of the 

 coach." 



" And I proposed to-day inside it." 



The two men stared at one another for a moment, and then 

 burst into a hearty laugh. 



" Of course Miss Comely is to be the future Duchess ? " 



The Duke nodded gaily. 



" And the coming Lady Gravity ? " 



"Is Mrs. Joggletilt." 



If the Honourable Seraphina Joggletilt was not quite the 

 Duke's idea of a fitting daughter-in-law, she was still an 

 unimpeachably good match ; for the excellent Joggletilt, who 

 some four years before had left this sphere for another, and, 

 we trust, a brighter one, had shed, in departing, the comfortable 



