watched Lady Margot with intent eyes, as she flitted about the room,
placing little tables beside her guests for their greater convenience.

"Such a plain dress, and almost no jewellery, and her hair so simply
done; but she looks a Lucille through and through, as I should never do,
however fine I might be!" she said admiringly to herself.

"We must think what we shall do to amuse ourselves, mustn't we? You
have begun your round of dinners already, I hear; but in Raby they are
apt to be a trifle too agricultural. All the men talk about their crops
at this time of the year, and, as the prospects are generally bad, they
get gloomier and gloomier as each course comes on. Mr Druce told me
that Mr Early has paid you a visitation, so, if you take his
conversation as a sample, you can judge of the combined effect. I don't
ask what he talked about, because I know!"

"Yes," murmured Ruth vaguely, while her eye met Mollie's in an
involuntary appeal. "Mr Druce told me!"--But Mr Early's call had
taken place only three days before, nearly a week after Lady Margot's
visit to the Court. "Mr Druce told me!" That meant that Margot had
met Victor yesterday or the day before, and had talked with him some
time, for the prosy Mr Early would not be an early subject of
conversation. Victor often went out riding alone, and there was no
reason in the world why he should not call on an old acquaintance. But
why make a mystery of it, and avoid the call to-day by an obvious
subterfuge? Ruth was very quiet for the rest of the visit, and Lady
Margot glanced at her more than once as she chatted with Mollie. When
tea was over she came out to the porch to watch their departure.

"_Au revoir_, Berengaria--_au revoir_, Lucille!" she cried gaily, as the
carriage drove away; but as she turned from the door, the smile faded
from her face, and was replaced by a very thoughtful expression.

"I see--I see it all! Poor pretty thing!" she said tenderly to herself.
"I am sorry for her and for poor Margot, too! Which of us, I wonder,
is the more to be pitied?"

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

PREPARING FOR THE GARDEN-PARTY.

Mrs Thornton took counsel with her husband as to the best form of
hospitality she could show to the squire's visitors.

"I want to be one of the first to entertain them formally. It is a duty
in our position," she explained. "The girls have been to tea several
times, and that dear Mollie runs up to the nursery as naturally as i