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THE FAIE HOESE-BEEAKER. 



Lady Muriel and her two daughters were dining alone. It 

 was not often that this happened, for although it was seldom 

 that lady visitors graced their board, there were generally a 

 few gentlemen present, asked to come up " and have a bit of 

 dinner, quite an informal affair — just ourselves, you know." 

 In fact, ladies were not wanted at these little functions 

 at Lambton Lodge, though gentlemen — but only those who 

 were eligible for the Matrimonial Stakes — were cordially 

 welcomed. Lady Muriel and her two daughters, the Misses 

 Gertrude and Enid Styles, were, as I said before, dining 

 alone ; Lady Muriel a stately matron of nigh on sixty, while 

 her two daughters were rapidly approaching the mature age 

 of thirty-five. Many summers had come and gone since the 

 Misses Gertrude and Enid Styles had made their bow to 

 Royalty at Buckingham Palace, yet their charms had capti- 

 vated no one as yet ; no one, that is, who was anyone. True, 

 the Rev. Rupert Doubleday, who was curate at Haxelford, 

 close by, had offered his hand, heart, and £80 per annum to 

 Miss Gertrude ; but this generous offer was declined with 

 thanks. Miss Gertrude had been quite unconscious that any 

 action of hers had led the poor man to believe that feelings 

 other than those of friendship were entertained towards 

 him : he ought to have understood that any little extra 

 attention which was paid to him was for the purpose of 

 stimulating another. Alas! the Rev. Rupert's uncle, a 

 wealthy cotton-spinner, had died since then, leaving the Rev. 

 Rupert a quarter of a milHon of money ; and, acting on the 



B 



