kneeling upon a chair, she appeared to watch the setting sun, and, though Mr. Verney left the room after a few minutes, she still continued in the same position, neither looking at, nor speaking to Cecil Nugent, whose eyes, I observed, often wandered to her. I thought this strange, as she had seemed so glad on hearing that he had come, and had talked of him so much that it appeared as if he were scarcely ever out of her mind. On entering, I had noticed that she hardly even shook hands with him, pulling her fingers away almost immediately from his with a petulant motion.

66

Oh, Cecil," she cried, suddenly from the window. "Guess who are coming up the avenue, Mr. and Mrs. Preston, mounted on King William and Queen Mary. Oh, what shall we do? Such odious bores!"

"Prepare yourself, Miss Melville," said Mr. Nugent, "to hear the names of those royal personages very often. Mr. Preston's favourite hero is King William III.”

I approached the window, and saw, riding up the avenue at a short trot, a lady and gentleman, both elderly. The gentleman was small, thin, and wiry-looking. The lady, large, stout, and comfortable, with a rosy, good-natured face. She was not in riding attire, but wore her usual dress, and a wideleaved, somewhat drooping straw hat, tied under her double chin with broad ribbon strings.

In a few minutes Mr. and Mrs. Preston entered the room. The latter came in talking, having, apparently, begun her greetings before she opened the door.

"I declare I don't know how long it's since

I saw you how d'ye do Catherine my dear," stopping for a second to kiss her, and then going on, gaining speed as she proceeded, like a steam-engine, jumbling sentence upon sentence, and question upon question, not waiting for a reply to anyinterrupting you in the middle if you endeavoured to answer, repeating what you were going to say, all wrong, and then starting off on another topic before you had time to utter a word of disclaimer.

"We've been intending to come over for ever so long but one thing or another always came in the way just as we had arranged to go one time it was the weather then it was King William hurt his foot then it was Queen Mary wasn't well and last week Mr. Preston had a cold himself which I declare I don't know how he got but this morning

as we were sitting at breakfast I said to him

we'll just go over to Verney Court this evening if it's fine so we will' but down comes the rain just as I was in the kitchen after the breakfast making a macaroni pudding very nice steep the macaroni all night though some say that spoils it and give only a few hours but I don't believe it and I ought to know so I ought boil for a few minutes with good milk and flavour to liking I'll give you the receipt if you like because I can't trust Bridgid to make anything she's so stupid all Irish servants are declare I wish I could get an English girl so I do perhaps the young lady from London could recommend me one thought I'd come over and ask and make her acquaintance—but I declare I forgot to shake hands with Mr. Nugent-Catherine and I were so busy talking or maybe I did but it's

no matter a good thing can't be done too often how did you get over Mr. Nugent rode of course did your horse get stuck?"

66

No, I walked-" he began.

"Oh yes of course you walked your horse it was the wisest plan I declare that's what I often say to Mr. Preston take him gently don't go too fast mind his feet and he won't get stuck," interrupted the impatient lady.

Mr. Nugent had been about to tell her that. he had walked over, not ridden.

"This is the young lady from England, I suppose?" asked Mrs. Preston, looking at me, and, wonderful to relate, pausing for a reply, partly, perhaps, to recover her breath, for she sat down fanning herself with her handkerchief and " declaring" she was "as warm as wool."

Catherine introduced me.

"Nice genteel name that's what it is no