find that Cedric had called during his absence, and had been greatly
disappointed at missing him.

He went across to the Wood House directly after supper, and found the
ladies sitting out on the terrace.

Elizabeth was very contrite.

"It was dreadfully careless of me," she confessed; "I meant to have
sent you a note last night, but some one called--who was it,
Dinah?--and put it out of my head." But Dinah could not recollect that
any one had called except David Carlyon, and seemed rather surprised at
the question.

"Oh, it must have been Mr. Carlyon," returned Elizabeth; but she
coloured slightly. "It was really very stupid of me; Cedric was quite
put out about it."

"Oh, well, it cannot be helped," observed Malcolm, philosophically.
"Did he say much about the Jacobis?"

"No, he only remarked that they had been very kind, and that he had had
a rattling good time. Those were his words, were they not, Die?" and
Dinah smiled assent.

"We both asked him a heap of questions, but they seemed to bore him; he
was full of his Scotch visit, and would scarcely talk of anything else."

Malcolm was not quite satisfied, but he kept his doubts to himself.
Elizabeth, who was as sharp as a needle, looked up at him quickly. "We
did our best, I assure you, Mr. Herrick, but he refused to be drawn; he
seemed very much excited."

"The Wallaces are a good sort of people, are they not?" was Malcolm's
next question.

"Oh yes, they are thoroughly nice;" it was Dinah who answered him. "Sir
Richard is charming, and so is Lady Wallace; and of course Dick is an
old acquaintance of ours."

"There are some daughters, I believe?"

"Yes, but they are not very young or attractive, poor things," replied
Elizabeth--"heavy, podgy sort of girls, but very kind-hearted. By the
bye, Die, I wonder if Cedric will come across the Godfreys, they are
somewhere in the neighbourhood." And then she explained to Malcolm that
Fettercairn Hall, where Sir Richard Wallace lived, was only a few miles
from the shooting lodge where the Godfreys were staying; and this fact
appeared to give the sisters a good deal of satisfaction.

It was the middle of September now, and Malcolm reflected with some
uneasiness that more than half his holiday was over. The Kestons had
decided to return to Cheyne Walk in another three weeks or so, and of
course he must accompany them; his mother and Anna would be back in
town by that time, and his presence would be needed in Lin