nd if it is an offer, and the wrong woman gets it, she always accepts,
somehow," said Mr. Beresford; "It's only the right one who declines!"
and here he certainly looked at me pointedly.

"He hoped to arrive before any one else," Francesca went on, "and put
the harp in a nice place, and lead Patricia up to it, and make her
wonder who sent it. Now poor dear (yes, his name is sure to be Terence),
he is too late, and I am sure he will leave it in the hansom, he will be
so embarrassed."

And so he did, but alas! the driver came back with it in an instant,
the butler ran down the long path of crimson carpet that covered the
sidewalk, the first footman assisted, the second footman pursued Terence
and caught him on the staircase, and he descended reluctantly, only
to receive the harp in his arms and send a tip to the cabman, whom of
course he was cursing in his heart.

"I can't think why he should give her a harp," mused Bertie Godolphin.
"Such a rum thing, a harp, isn't it? It's too heavy for her to 'tote,'
as you say in the States."

"Yes, we always say 'tote,' particularly in the North," I replied; "but
perhaps it is Patricia's favourite instrument. Perhaps Terence first
saw her at the harp, and loved her from the moment he heard her sing the
'Minstrel Boy' and the 'Meeting of the Waters.'"

"Perhaps he merely brought it as a sort of symbol," suggested Mr.
Beresford; "a kind of flowery metaphor signifying that all Ireland, in
his person, is at her disposal, only waiting to be played upon."

"If that is what he means, he must be a jolly muff," remarked the
Honourable Arthur. "I should think he'd have to send a guidebook with
the bloomin' thing."

We never knew how Terence arranged about the incubus; we only saw that
he did not enter the drawing room with it in his arms. He was well
received, although there was no special enthusiasm over his arrival; but
the first guest is always at a disadvantage.

He greeted the young ladies as if he were in the habit of meeting them
often, but when he came to Patricia, well, he greeted her as if he could
never meet her often enough; there was a distinct difference, and even
Mrs. Beresford, who had been incredulous, succumbed to our view of the
case.

Patricia took him over to the piano to see the arrangement of some
lilies. He said they were delicious, but looked at her.

She asked him if he did not think the garlands lovely.

He said, "Perfectly charming," but never lifted hi