ADELAIDE PROCTOR.


There was a Guild at St. Kenelm's which was considered by the
promoters to be superior to the Girls' Friendly Society, and which
comprised about a dozen young women, who attended classes held by
Sister Beata, and occasional modest entertainments given by Lady
Flight.

One of these was to take place the day before Miss Prescott's garden
party. It was to be given at Carrara, the very pretty grounds on the
top of the cliff, belonging to Captain Henderson, the managing
partner in the extensive marble works of Mr. White, who lived at
Rocca Marina, in the Riviera. Mrs. Henderson had resided in Mr.
Flight's parish, and been a member of his congregation, and while he
was absent for a day or two she had put her garden at the service of
the Guild of St. Milburga's for the day.

Of course Vera and Paula were delighted to assist; but Thekla was too
young for the amusements of grown-up maidens, and was much better
pleased to help her two elder sisters in preparations for the next
day, placing tennis nets, arranging croquet hoops, mustering chairs
by the verandah, and adorning tables with flowers. Agatha's
assistance was heartily given, as making it her own concern, and, for
that reason above all others, it was a happy day, though a very
tiring one, to Magdalen, in spite of the sultry atmosphere and the
sight of lurid-looking clouds over the moors, which did not augur
well for the next day's weather, and caused all the arrangement of
chairs and rugs to be prudently broken up and deposited under the
verandah.