and admitting that you have not seen them being out
of the question, as a lover of veracity I counsel you to do so at once."

We lunch and dine at a good many places that we would rather not;
entertain, and are entertained by, a good many people for whom we feel
a by no means dormant aversion. It is only the Pansey Cottrells of
this world who successfully evade all such obligations, and
persistently decline to do aught that does not pleasure them.

Lady Mary was too much a woman of the world to be entrapped by a _tour
de force_ such as this. She hesitated; thought it was impossible. It
was very kind of Mrs. Wriothesley; but they had so many visits to pay,
so much to do, &c. But here, somewhat to her mother's astonishment,
Blanche interposed, and suggested that their other engagements could be
postponed. The young lady was great at lawn tennis, having a natural
aptitude for all games of that description. She had heard a great deal
about this La Crosse, and was extremely curious to see it; therefore it
was not surprising that she should advocate the acceptance of Mrs.
Wriothesley's invitation.

"It's a thing you will have to do some time or other, Lady Mary,"
observed Mr. Cottrell, "unless you are setting up as an 'eccentric.'
By-the-bye, Miss Sylla, of course you will see Beauchamp at Prince's.
Tell him I have heard of a park hack worth his looking at. He was
wanting one the other day."

That settled the question. Lady Mary felt now it was essential that
she should be at Prince's and see how Sylla progressed in her insidious
designs. For that Miss Chipchase, under her aunt's guidance, was not
doing her best to entangle Lionel Beauchamp in her toils, no power
could have persuaded Lady Mary. Mrs. Wriothesley was one of the few
people who thoroughly understood the whimsical perversity of Mr.
Cottrell's character, and she shrewdly suspected, as was indeed the
case, that he had no more heard of that hack than that he had that
Beauchamp wanted one.

It was seldom that Ralph Wriothesley honoured his wife's
luncheon-table, so the four ladies had that meal all to themselves.
Mrs. Wriothesley exerted herself to be agreeable; and if Lady Mary had
still doubts about her hostess's sincerity, she was not insensible to
the charm of her manner; so that in spite of her mother's misgivings
and Blanche's own nascent jealousy of Sylla, the afternoon glided
pleasantly by, until it was time to stroll across to Prince's. They