settled. Oh, Meredith, I
forgot you. Hitch on to some other sleigh, there's a good fellow. I am on
ambulance duty; somebody tell Colonel Rolleston--presently."

Then Bertie, who had his own reasons for hurrying, placed Miss Tremaine,
still shivering from her snow bath, in the cutter, and drove rapidly off.

"Well, I am d----d," muttered Captain Delamere to Vavasour; "she has
never seen the fellow before!"

"Hush, pray," said Jack, affectedly; "he _is_ an officious young man. But
be thankful for small mercies, old boy; you have got one left."

"That's the wrong one," growled Delamere.

After a brief consultation about the route, a unanimous vote for luncheon
was passed, so they drove on till they came to an open space, the
contrary side of the wood in which Du Meresq and Bluebell had walked on
Sunday. Here all the sleighs formed up together, and Major Fane's larder
was ransacked.

Curacoa, mulled claret, hot coffee, etc., kept warm in a blanket, were
passed round, with mutton pies, croquettes, cakes and other edibles; and
circulation being restored, all was mirth and hilarity.

Colonel Rolleston alone remained dark and moody. He had just discovered
the defection of Du Meresq and Lilla, and, having his own opinion of his
brother-in-law, disapproved of it entirely. Miss Tremaine also was much
too flighty for his taste, and he was very hard on Captain Delamere for
not applying to him to get her decorously out of her delicate dilemma.

He made up his mind to curtail the drive, and call at Mr. Tremaine's at
his earliest convenience.

Bertie, in the meantime, delighted at getting a _tete-a-tete_ with
a handsome girl, instead of driving in a monotonous string with Mr.
Meredith, proceeded to improve the occasion with such success that his
fair companion forgot her wet stockings, and even omitted to observe that
they had passed the turn leading to the paternal abode.

When she did remark it, Bertie easily persuaded her that she must be
quite dry now, and that, as they had missed the garrison drive, they had
better take one on their own account. Miss Lilla, unrestrained by the
detective eyes of her elder sister, was ripe for any frolic, and Bertie
certainly did not find so many obstacles in the way of an affectionate
flirtation as he had with Bluebell.

But our business is with the trans-Atlantic picnic in the snow, not with
the "cutting out" expedition of this reprobate pair. Having distributed
the remainder of the lu