THE FAIR HORSE-BREAKER. 31 



was the best dance I have ever been to in the neighbour- 

 hood. And who do you think was the belle of the ball, Miss 

 Enid ? " 



" Can't sa}', I m sure, as I don't know who was there." 

 " Why, our champion lady rider, Miss Cuthbert." 

 " What ! " almost shrieked Miss Styles. " That creature 

 there. I am very glad we didn't go, Enid." 



" Yes," continued Mr. Bower, enjo3dng himself immensely, 

 "it appears that the Cuthberts of Ivy Cottage are the 

 Cuthberts of The Priory, Marlshire. Mrs. Cuthbert was the 

 daughter of Sir Frederick Fitzhugh, one of the oldest 

 baronetcies in England, by the way, and her sister is the 

 Duchess of Roxshire. Both the Duke and the Duchess were 

 there last night, and made much of Miss Ethel, who is the 

 Duke's god-daughter. But the sensation of the evening was 

 the announcement of the eno^ao^ement of Miss Cuthbert to 

 that wealthy Scotchman, Captain Frank Gordon." 



The Misses Styles with difficulty suppressed then* groans 

 of an Ornish. 



o 



" It is a romantic affair," continued Mr. Bower. " Shortly 

 after Colonel Cuthbert's death, the financial investment 

 in which he had been interested turned out a swindle ; 

 some mines in Spain, I fancy. (The Misses Styles winced ; 

 Mr. St3des had once been connected with some mines in 

 Spain, and only got out "just in time.") However, Mrs. 

 Cuthbert let The Priory, and lived in seclusion at Tunbridge 

 Wells for a time. Captain Gordon, who had been awfully 

 smitten, searched high and low for the girl he had loved and 

 lost in a week, for on his return from India he could find no 

 trace of her whatever, till he met her in the hunting field 

 here ; and now they are to be married in the spring, and as 

 Mrs. Cuthbert's affairs have come all rio-ht as^ain, she returns 

 to The Priory next year m time to celebrate her son Tom's 

 coming of age." 



