wos and threes
until a tempting repast had been spread, not upon the grass, but upon
long wooden tables in the castle yard.

Ruth was utterly astonished. Her ideas of a picnic were gathered from
the simple and joyous little parties held in the woods near her home,
when the hamper, filled with cold meat, tartlets, and milk or lemonade,
was sent on in the milk cart or one of the farm wagons, a white cloth
was spread under the shade of a tree, and the whole party sat on the
grass round it, and were merry and lively, regarding the little
accidents which would occasionally happen as so much cause for mirth.

But this sumptuous collation, with its garnished dishes of poultry and
joints, salads, tarts, jellies, blancmange, ices and champagne, with
various fruits, all tastefully arranged, and the accessories of glass
and flowers, silver forks and spoons, and long seats, with waiters
hurrying about, made a picnic quite a different affair, and--Ruth was
unfashionable enough to think--took away all the fun of it. She could
see that her aunt was somewhat anxious, and was quite as vexed at any
slight accident which occurred as if she had been giving a party in her
own house.

Of course there were several toasts and a good deal of speech-making,
and a considerable quantity of champagne was drunk before the guests
left the tables and dispersed, some to the tennis court, others to
explore the castle, and a few to take a country walk in the green lanes.

The afternoon was very warm, but the hush of the summer's stillness was
broken by the merry voices of the girls as they made their way through
the old castle and peeped out of the windows at their friends in the
tennis court below. There was a continual flutter of light dresses
through the low doorways and up the dingy stairs, and merry sounds of
laughter echoed through the empty chambers. It was the first castle that
romantic little Ruth had ever seen; and although she could not gather
much of its history from the little books sold at the gate, she tried to
imagine the scenes that had been enacted there, to people it with
knights in armour, and to fancy that the girlish faces which peeped
through the windows were those of "fayre ladyes" of bygone days.

She was aroused from her day-dream by a scream from one of the girls,
and saw Gerald, looking white and scared, hurrying towards a small door
leading to the keep. The tennis players ceased their game, all eyes were
turned in one di