at the Hebrides
than stop a week in the house with them."

"I think Sally thrashed you when you came home once for the holidays,"
said Mrs. Trafford, laughing.

"No, Alice, it was Beck," broke in her sister. "She has a wonderful
story of what she calls a left-hander, that she planted under his eye.
She tells it still with great gusto, but owns that Mark fought on very
bravely for two rounds after."

"And are these the people you expect me to show Maitland?" said Mark,
rising from the table; "I'd rather, fifty times rather, write and say,
'We cannot receive you; our house is full, and will be for a month to
come.'"

"Yes, dear Mark, that is the really sensible way to look at it. Nobody
nowadays has any scruple in such matters. One is invited from Monday to
Thursday, but on no possible pretext can he stay to Friday." And so Mrs.
Trafford ran away, heaping, by apparent consolations, coals of fire on
his angry head.

"I think you had better get Alice to write the letter herself," said
Bella; "I'm sure she will do it with great tact and discretion."

"Pray do," added she. "Entrust me with the despatch, and I promise you
the negotiation will be completed then and there."

"It is quite bad enough to shut the door in a man's face, without
jeering at him out of the window," said Mark; and he dashed out of the
room in a rage.

"I wish he had shown us his friend's note," said Alice. "I'm quite
certain that his anger has far, more to do with that epistle than with
any of our comments upon it."

"I'm very sorry Mark should be annoyed," said Bella; "but I'm selfish
enough to own that, if we escape Mr. Maitland's visit, I shall deem the
bargain a good one."

"I suspect Mr. Maitland does not intend to honor us by his company, and
that we may spare ourselves all the embarrassment of preparing for it,"
said Lady Lyle. And now the three ladies set themselves to consider in
committee that oft-vexed problem of how to make a country-house
hold more people than it had room for, and how to persuade the less
distinguished of the guests that they are "taking out" in cordiality
all that their reception wants in convenience. One difficulty presented
itself at every step, and in a variety of shapes. Never before had the
Abbey been full of visitors without Tony Butler being there to assist in
their amusement,--Tony, equally at home on land and on sea, the cavalier
of young ladies, the safe coachman of mammas, the guide to all that was