' said Mr Lennox. 'I think it is just precisely the day for a
good long ride on Lightning Speed and Ardshiel. There's a fine,
bright, fresh air about, and it will put roses into your bonnie cheeks.
Get on your habit and we 'll go for a long ride.'

This was better; this was reviving. The horses were led out by the
groom. Hollyhock, who could ride splendidly, was soon seated on the
back of her glorious Arab, Lightning Speed. Her father looked
magnificent beside her on Ardshiel, and away they started riding fast
across country.

They returned home after an hour or two with ravenous appetites, to
find that Duncan, the old serving-man, had lit a great fire of logs in
the hall, and that Tocsin and Curfew were in their usual places,
enjoying the blaze.

Hollyhock tossed off her little cap and sat down to enjoy tea and
scones to her heart's delight. She now felt that she had done right
not to go to Ardshiel. Her voice rang with merriment, and her father
joined her in her mirth.

But when tea came to an end Lord Ian Douglas, the gentleman of vast
estates whom Mr Lennox was to help as agent, appeared on the scene, and
Hollyhock was forgotten. She was introduced to Lord Ian, who gave her
a very distant bow, and began immediately to talk to his new agent
about crops and manures, turnips, cattle, pigs, all sorts of impossible
and disgusting subjects, according to the angry little Hollyhock.

Lord Ian did not go away for some hours, and when at last he departed
it was time to dress for dinner. But how Hollyhock did miss the
Precious Stones and The Garden girls! How dull, how gloomy, was the
house! She tried in vain to eat her dinner with appetite, but she saw
that her father looked full of preoccupation, that he hardly regarded
her; in fact, the one and only speech that he made to her was this:
'Douglas is a good sort, and he has given me a vast lot to do. It will
help to pay for the Flowers' education; but I greatly fear, my
Hollyhock, that you will be a great deal alone. In fact, the whole of
to-morrow I have to spend at Dundree, Lord Ian's place. I wish I could
take you with me, my darling; but that is impossible, and I must leave
you now, for I have to look over certain accounts which Lord Ian
brought with him. This is a very lucky stroke of business for me.
Your Dumpy Dad can do a great deal for his Flower Girls by means of
Lord Ian.'

'I hate the man!' burst from Hollyhock's lips.

If her father heard,