es--so that the solitary success was Captain Craufurd, a
gentleman who certainly had not won the suffrages of the great house.

There were two vacant places besides at the table; for butlers are fond
of recording, by napkins and covers, how certain of our friends assume
to treat us, and thus, as it were, contrast their own formal observances
of duty with the laxer notions of their betters.

"Lord Culduff is not able to dine with us," said Colonel Bramleigh,
making the apology as well to himself as to the company.

"No, papa," said Marion; "he hopes to appear in the drawing-room in the
evening."

"If not too much tired by his long walk," broke in Jack.

"What walk are you dreaming of?" asked Marion.

"An excursion he made this morning down the coast, sketching or
pretending to sketch. Nelly and I saw him clambering up the side of a
cliff--"

"Oh, quite impossible; you must be mistaken."

"No," said Nelly, "there was no mistake. I saw him as plainly as I see
you now; besides, it is not in these wild regions so distinguished a
figure is like to find its counterpart."

"But why should he not take his walk? why not sketch, or amuse himself
in any way he pleased?" asked Temple.

"Of course it was open to him to do so," said the Colonel; "only that to
excuse his absence he ought not to have made a pretext of being ill."

"I think men are 'ill' just as they are 'out,'" said Temple. "I am ill
if I am asked to do what is disagreeable to me, as I am out to the visit
of a bore."

"So that to dine with us was disagreeable to Lord Culduff?" asked Jack.

"It was evidently either an effort to task his strength, or an occasion
which called for more exertion than he felt equal to," said Temple,
pompously.

"By Jove!" cried Jack, "I hope I 'll never be a great man! I trust
sincerely _I_ may never arrive at that eminence in which it will task
my energies to eat my dinner and chat with the people on either side of
me."

"Lord Culduff converses: he does not chat; please to note the
distinction, Jack."

"That 's like telling me he does n't walk, but he swaggers."

It was fortunate at this moment, critical enough as regarded the temper
of all parties, that Mr. Cutbill entered, full of apologies for being
late, and bursting to recount the accidents that befell him, and all
the incidents of his day. A quick glance around the table assured him of
Lord Culduff's absence, and it was evident from the sparkle of his eye
that the