But why all these questions, Miss Sylla?"

"Never mind; that's my secret. You may be sure it is intended for your
good," laughed his interrogator. "In short, you never saw him ride,
shoot, nor do any of those things."

"No," rejoined Jim, much amused; "I never saw him commit himself to
rackets, skating, billiards, or any of those things."

"Ah," rejoined Sylla, "I was curious to see how much you knew about
him. And now I think I must go and join the rest of them."

Upon arriving at the part of the ball-room in which Lady Mary had taken
up her abode, they found most of the elders of the party assembled, and
the expediency of a move homewards prominently under discussion.

"Ah, make room for me, please," exclaimed the vivacious young lady, "in
that corner next to you, Mr. Cottrell. You have neglected me
shamefully the whole of the evening, you know. The sole admirer I can
reckon on in all Fernshire, an adorer privileged to say sweet things to
me, and whose bounden duty it is never to neglect an opportunity of
administering such sugarplums--how dare you treat me so? You abandon
me in the tea-room, leaving me to be picked up like any other derelict
by the passing stranger. Now, Mr. Cottrell, I should just like to hear
what you have got to say in your defence."

"Well, Miss Sylla," rejoined the accused, "I left you under very
tolerable protection, and Lady Mary had given me a hint to find Miss
Bloxam for her if I could."

"I don't believe a word of it," replied the young lady. "You got rid
of me, you know you did, because you felt lazy and unequal to the
exigencies of the situation."

Of course Pansey Cottrell knew that this was all fooling; but then,
like many other middle-aged gentlemen, he rather liked such fooling
with a pretty girl; in fact, was somewhat given to what may be
designated as fatherly flirtation.

"I don't think I left you quite so desolate as you make out. I should
imagine Beauchamp an eligible cavalier. He comes from your county, so
no doubt you know him."

"Yes, Mr. Beauchamp and I have foregathered before to-day."

"Ah, it was provoking," continued Cottrell, "after all the pains I took
on your behalf, that Lady Mary, looking upon you as one of her charges,
should be so sternly determined to do her duty by you as to penetrate
the tea-room and nip such a promising flirtation in the bud."

"Yes," said the girl musingly, "I don't think she was altogether
pleased at finding me there.