e no attempt to attract to herself the attentions of
Mirabel; and she showed no hostility to Emily, either by word, look, or
manner.

........

The day after, an event occurred at Netherwoods. Alban Morris received
an anonymous letter, addressed to him in these terms:

"A certain young lady, in whom you are supposed to be interested, is
forgetting you in your absence. If you are not mean enough to allow
yourself to be supplanted by another man, join the party at Monksmoor
before it is too late."

CHAPTER XLII. COOKING.

The day after the political meeting was a day of departures, at the
pleasant country house.

Miss Darnaway was recalled to the nursery at home. The old squire who
did justice to Mr. Wyvil's port-wine went away next, having guests to
entertain at his own house. A far more serious loss followed. The three
dancing men had engagements which drew them to new spheres of activity
in other drawing-rooms. They said, with the same dreary grace of manner,
"Very sorry to go"; they drove to the railway, arrayed in the same
perfect traveling suits of neutral tint; and they had but one difference
of opinion among them--each firmly believed that he was smoking the best
cigar to be got in London.

The morning after these departures would have been a dull morning
indeed, but for the presence of Mirabel.

When breakfast was over, the invalid Miss Julia established herself on
the sofa with a novel. Her father retired to the other end of the house,
and profaned the art of music on music's most expressive instrument.
Left with Emily, Cecilia, and Francine, Mirabel made one of his happy
suggestions. "We are thrown on our own resources," he said. "Let us
distinguish ourselves by inventing some entirely new amusement for the
day. You young ladies shall sit in council--and I will be secretary."
He turned to Cecilia. "The meeting waits to hear the mistress of the
house."

Modest Cecilia appealed to her school friends for help; addressing
herself in the first instance (by the secretary's advice) to Francine,
as the eldest. They all noticed another change in this variable young
person. She was silent and subdued; and she said wearily, "I don't care
what we do--shall we go out riding?"

The unanswerable objection to riding as a form of amusement, was that it
had been more than once tried already. Something clever and surprising
was anticipated from Emily when it came to her turn. She, too,
disappointed expectation