ne. I thought
Harding would have looked to all this; he ought to have taken care that
the county was properly attentive. An agent never wishes to see his
chief reside on the property. It is like in my own career,--one is only
charge d'affaires when the head of the legation is on leave."

"And this was the county we were told was ready to receive us with a
sort of frantic enthusiasm. I wonder, Temple, do people ever tell the
truth!"

"Yes, when they want you not to believe them. You see, Marion, we
blundered here pretty much as we blundered in England. You'll not get
the governor to believe it, nor perhaps even Augustus, but there is a
diplomacy of everyday life, and people who fancy they can dispense with
it invariably come to grief. Now I always told them--indeed I grew tired
telling them--every mile that separates you from a capital diminishes
the power of your money. In the city you reign supreme, but to be a
county magnate you need scores of things besides a long credit at your
banker's."

A very impatient toss of the head showed that Marion herself was not
fully a convert to these sage opinions, and it was with a half-rude
abruptness that she broke in by asking how he intended to convey his
invitation to Lord Culduff.

"There 's the difficulty," said he, gravely. "He is going about from
one place to another. Harding says he was at Rathbeggan on Sunday last,
and was going on to Dinasker next day. I have been looking over the map,
but I see no roads to these places. I think our best plan is to despatch
Lacy with a letter. Lacy is the smartest fellow we have, and I think
will be sure to find him. But the letter, too, is a puzzle."

"Why should it be? It will be, I suppose, a mere formal invitation?"

"No, no. It would never do to say, 'Colonel Bramleigh presents his
compliments, and requests'--and so on. The thing must have another tone.
It ought to have a certain turn of expression."

"I am not aware of what amount of acquaintanceship exists between you
and Lord Culduff," said she, stiffly.

"The very least in life. I suspect if we met in a club we should
pass without speaking. I arrived at his Legation on the morning he was
starting on leave. I remember he asked me to breakfast, but I declined,
as I had been three days and nights on the road, and wanted to get to
bed. I never met him since. What makes you look so serious, Marion?"

"I'm thinking what we shall do with him if he comes. Does he shoot, or
hun