"Who is to drive you, Miss Rolleston?" asked she, suspecting, from his
backwardness in coming forward, that the object of her intentions might
be engaged there.

"I am going in the last sleigh, with Major Fane. We take the luncheon and
pay the turnpikes. He is Vice-President this time."

"By-the-bye, Du Meresq," said the Colonel, rather exercised to find a
lady of the party without a swain, "whom have you asked?"

"Oh, everybody is engaged," said Bertie, mendaciously ignoring Miss
Kendal's half-admission of being open to an offer. "I shall not join the
drive at all, unless," he added, in a hesitating manner, as if it was a
sudden thought, "Miss Leigh will compassionate me, and allow me to take
charge of her."

Bluebell, confused by this unexpected proposition, and by feeling so
many eyes turned upon her, did not immediately make any answer; then a
vexatious remembrance intruded itself, and she replied, with what that
individual would have thought most unnecessary concern,--

"I am very sorry--I mean--I believe I am half-engaged to Mr. Vavasour."

"I should think you were," said Mrs. Rolleston. "I don't know what he
would say if you threw him over."

"Oh!" said Bertie, plaintively, "if that insinuating youth has been
beforehand, of course there's no chance for me. Well, I am out of the
hunt,"--and he carelessly whistled a bar of "Not for Joseph" in reply to