The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-07-14
CHAPTER v.

While dressing, Ellinor gave her
maid orders to set about packing i'm
mediately. Ellis, very solemn and
matter-of-fact person, expressed no sur
prise, but went quietly to work, empty
ing the contents of wardrobes into i'm
perials, and fitting silver-topped bottles
into their velvet-lined cases, as if there
were no such thing as hurry or agitation
in the world.
1t was a long evening to Ellinor Dali
ton. Every quarter that chimed its
silver tones from the ormolu time-piece
over the chimney seemed an entire hour
60 her. Never had the county families
appeared so insufferably stupid, or the
London visitors SO supremacy tiresome.
The young man from the War Office
took her into dinner, and insisted on
telling her some very funny story about
young man in another Government
Office, which brilliant anecdote lasted,
exclusive of interruptions, from the
soup to the dessert, without drawing
nearer the point of witticism. After
the dreary dinner, the eldest daughter
of the oldest of the county families fast
ened herself and very difficult piece of
crochet upon her, and inflicted all the
agonies of worsted-work rose, which,
as the young lady perpetually declared.
would not come right
But however distract Ellinor might be,
Horace Margrave was not Horace of
the West-end world. He talked poll
tics with the heads of the county fami-
lies; stock exchange with the city men;
sporting magazine and Tattersalrs with
the country swells; discussed the last
debuts at Her Majesty's Theater with
the young Londoners; spoke of irJohn
Herschers last discovery to scientific
country squire, and of the newest
thing in farming implements to an agri-
cultural ditto; talked compliments to
the young country ladies, and the fresh
est Mayfair scandal to the young Lon
don ladies; had, in short, something to
say on every subject to everybody,
without displeasing any one. And let
any man who has tried to do this in the
crowded drawing-room of a country
house say whether or not Horace Mar
grave was a clever fellow.
"By the by, Horace" said Sir
Lionel, as the accomplished lawyer
lounged against one corner of the long
marble mantlepiece, talking to group
of young men and one rather fast young
lady, who had edged herself into the
circle under cover of a brother, much to
the indignation of more timid spirits,
who sat modestly aloof, furtively re-
garding Admirable Crichton Margrave,
as his friends called him, from distant
sofas; '.by the by, my boy, where did
you hide yourself all this morning?
We sadly wanted you to decide match
at billiards, and sent people all over
the house and grounds in search of
you"
81 rode over to Horton after lunch"
said Horace. 81 wanted a few hours
there on electioneering business.
you've been to Horton?" asked Sir
Lionel, with rather an anxious express
sion.
Eyes, my dear Sir Lionel, to Horton.
But how alarmed you look! l trust I
haven't been doing anything wrong. A
client of mine is going to stand one whit
the less the elegant and accomplished
for the place. But surely you're not
going to throw over the county electors,
and stand for the little borough of Hor-
ton. YOURSELF" he said. laughing.
Sir Lionel looked little confused,
and the county families grew suddenly
very grave; indeed, one young lady in
pink. who was known by about seven
fair confdantes to have a slight tea,dre
for the handsome lawyer, clutched con-
vulsively at the wrist of a younger sister
in blue, and listened, with an alarmed
face, to the conversation by the CHM
ney-piece.
''Why, how silent every one has
grown"' said Horace. still laughing.
1t seems as if l had launched