on the bed, talking to
him and smoking, whilst the latter was opening a leather trunk which
contained some bottles of whisky and soda water, and a small box which
held the remains of the ice.

"We can't let this 'melt on as,' as the Irish would say, Mallard," and
he placed it in the toilet basin in its covering of blanket. "Now move
your lazy self and break a piece off with your knife, whilst I open this
bottle of Kinahan's and some soda. I trust the cultured family will not
object to the sound of a cork popping at seven o'clock."

"Not they," said Mallard, as he rose; "they would not mind if you took
the whisky to the table and drank it out of the bottle. Oh, I can gauge
the old dame pretty well, I think; avarice is writ large in her face,
and she'll squeeze us all she can. She told me in a mysterious aside
that the butler kept all the very best wines and liquor obtainable. I
thanked her, and said I usually provided my own. She didn't like it a
bit; but I'm not going to pay her a sovereign for a bottle of whisky or
Hennessey when I can get a case of either for a five-pound note. Oh!"
he added disgustedly, "they're all alike."

"Well, don't worry, old man," said his friend philosophically, as he
handed him a glass; "there, take this. I wonder if Mrs. Trap--Trapper,
or whatever her name is, thinks we are going to dress for dinner.
Neither my sister nor Miss Carolan will, and I'm sure I'm not going to
establish a bad precedent."

"Same here. If other people like to waste time dressing for dinner, let
them; this town is altogether too new and thriving a place for busy men
like ourselves to worry about evening dress. By the way, Grainger, I've
some news for you that I trust will give you pleasure: your sister has
promised to marry me next year."

Grainger grasped his friend's hand. "I'm glad, very glad, old man. I was
wondering what made her so unusually bright this afternoon; but she has
kept it dark."

"Hasn't had a chance to tell you yet. I only asked her a couple of hours
ago."

"Well, let us go and see her and Miss Carolan before dinner. I can hear
them talking in the sitting-room. Hallo! who is that little fellow out
there crossing the lawn with the younger Miss Trappeme. He's in full
fig.."

Mallard looked out of the window and saw a very diminutive man in
evening dress.

"Oh, that's little Assheton, the new manager for the Australian
Insurance Company. He's just out from England. He's a fearfully
concei