THE SPOTTED HOKSE's STOEY. 171 



liis guests. He addressed my divinity as Lucy, 

 and asked if she had enjoyed her drive ; but 

 before he had time to introduce me, the 

 announcement of dinner sent us trooping to the 

 dining-room. 



It would take too much space to give a 

 detailed list of the party seated round the table. 

 I had taken down a lady with abundant black 

 hair and superabundant eyebrows, who seemed 

 much surprised at my inability to furnish her with 

 the information she sought upon a variety of 

 topics, chiefly of an equestrian or sporting 

 nature. On my other side was a sister of the 

 squire's, a lady of uncertain age, abrupt habits, 

 and Amazonian proportions, who being copiously 

 decked with "bugles " and large beads of other 

 varieties, rattled loudly whenever she turned to 

 speak to me, as she did with much decision at 

 frequent intervals. I am a nervous man. If 

 people jerk they startle me, and the calm enjoy- 

 ment of my dinner was seriously interfered with. 



Nearly opposite to me was the divine Lucy, 

 seated next to a good-natured-looking young 

 man whose name I ascertained to be Forester ; 

 but amongst all the others there was none that 

 I knew. The conversation, too, was for the 

 most part as strange to me as the guests, the 

 ladies taking an interest in matters of which I 



