New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-28
he invalid comfortably ensconced on her re-

| propriety await Captain AinsIie's descent.
| Not all OF us together" exclaimed Penelope
| almost angrily She felt not only the absurdity
but the unkndness of the decision He will
| feel fiat.
| He Will feel fatigued. and only too thankful
| to be spared any stir noise. dear mamma
| thinks" from Louisa.
He might at least be given the chance.
| know how should feel if were coming down
! stairs loi the hrSt time. and not soul to re-
| ceive me-
She had. however, to give way. Joanna had
been toid on to escort her and Nina on a cot
tage visit and Louisa was to occupy the seat
! by her mother in the barouche BY the tone of
| EduY NdIhousue voice when commenting on
a ang aardnstnent Penelope could tell that its
! ors'haI organization had been her own
He will be nice and quiet until we return $.
she had summed up '''"'
IL suppose they would think all sorts of
! thhsS II were To stay and arnuse him nut
| tered Penelope To herself. She had been look
ing forward to Bob's coming downstairs all the
mornihG' ana had been thinking that very
Hkeiy redwood would look in also and feeling
| sure IL was going 10 be wet. and that all the
party couId be gathered in the smaller draw
tnsiLp1rn, Which was that in ordinary use. had
uecloed on changing her summer cotton for an
| elegant autumn tweed which had Just arrived
! from town and in which she was dying to see
! herself If any rks were made she could
say ii was always well to try on a new frock
Now the tresome rain had kept off and every
one was going out. Under protest she had 10
| go. too W.
When the walking party returned from their
excursion. about two hours thereafter they be-
held what was for II. perhaps. the strangcst
| sight Carnoustie Castle had ever Witnessed
| Miss Marianne Soutter seated at cards with
| captain Robert Anslie,
Peneiope thought she should never forget that
slSht 1hey entered the room, she and Joanna
ana Nina. softly. so as not to jar upon the in
NandS nerves and conscious OF some slight
! excitement wthal-Bob had been such a cen
tral point throughout the previous fortnight
ana even before his accident quite a leading
Isieature OF the party-they entered We say
gently.
Joanna first. her younger sister next. Pcnelopo
pace or TWO in the rear. Penelope was the
| shYest OF the three. yet willing to get in and
| have II over. on the last occasion when she.
mad seen this man they had parted with jest
and banter, gibe and retort-making i'm short
mat Kind Of lay with each other which either
means something or nothing according TO the
players. She and Alice Ainslie had accom-
panied the shooting party to the edge of the
moor. and twice had Anslie turned to wave
a gay "Adieu' from the heights. till Alice
had merrily dragged her from the spot. with "A
significance that had half-a dashed half pleased
Penelope. She did not mind who laughed at
her about Captain Ainslie She wished To be
laughed at She was trying TO laugh at her
self.
Still the recollection induced a consciousness
which in its turn bred a vague timidity. and
the bright girl who generally in the front
rank of everything. let her cousins pass through
the doorway before her
The next moment. however. saw all soft mem
cries thrown 10 the winds. There sat Miss
Marianne in her purple silk best dress and
large lace collar. her brown face shining with
satisfaction and the heat of the room. and with
her gloves and parasol laid on chair beside
her. There she sat. close To- the sette, on which
Bob was elegantly stretched covered with a sofa
shawl; and between the two was drawn up low
table Of an exact height to suit the invalid n
table to the eyes of the newcomers all covered
with playing cards.
How had this extraordinary departure from es-
tablished rule been brought about? Feeling a
little fiat. asPenelope had predicted. and won
dering how ever he to yawn through the
weary hours which it appeared he still
destined TO pass alone. Bob had caught with de-
light the sound Of An opening door and the sight
Of the young footman, who IL will be remembered
was a new Importation alongside OF Penelope.
Duncan had been left alone that afternoon. Mrs
Hyslop having taken herself off to visit a
crOny and detail the labOrs and triumphs of the
past fortnight He had not had Il run since first
the Ainslies' visit was talked II: and it had taken
him all his time up till now to get straight again
within his own domain; but having seen his
mistress safely out Of sight and got the sick
soldier conveyed downstairs into A cosy little
sitting room opening out of that in ordinary use
by the family when alone. where ne could be at
tended 10 by Duncan. or Mrs Alison. or anybody
Hysop had made off for little recreation and
as luck would have ii had scarcely gone ere the
Misses Soutter rang the fr0nt-d bell
Now Duncan knew that the Misses SOuiter
were always To he admitted whether any one
At home or not. So wisely did the Misses
Soutter depOrt themselves. and SO artfully did
they contrve 10 be aware when their presence
would or would no, be- welcome. that never in the
whole course Of their connection with the Car
nousue family had they been turned from the
Castle door
IT had occasionally happenod-very rarely. but
still it had happened-that on emerging from the
last bend Of the avenue the sisters had bchcld a
vehicle in waiting before the august doorway-a
strange equipage. which told II strange folks
within
Without a flicker of hesitation they had stimuli
taneousy wheeled round and retraced their st"ps.
informing their brother thereafter that Lady
Carnoustie was entertaining company. so they
did not 60 in.
Some might have termed this servilc Or
McWhinnock's wife for instance. a dapper little
.h. in, ..llx
Glasgow friend Of "the Carnoustics" and all their
ways and habits-inferring that she had the run
Of the Castle dav and nght-would have turned
up her pert little nos" At the bare idea Of turn
ing back from any place because she might be
de trOp in any society. and had indeed on one
occasion displaced by her gig Ghe doctors gig,
borrowed fo~ the occasionD duc1l wagonette
which had found its way over from the other
side Of the island. and srutted forward. all I'M
abashed. into the very midst Of Formidable
circle. wherein even Lady Carnoustie was not
quite herself
Il had just got my new autumn things. so
what had | 10 mind?' thought she.
Lady Carnouste. on the other hand knew very
well what ought 10 have been minded and was
grimly resolved that second occasion
should that irrepressibe underbred little voice
and that little pebeian figure with its restless
movements and its resolution 10 bc observed and
noticed have chance Of being commented upon
in her drawing room.
The impertinence Of IT," exclaimed she over
and over again: until even the doctor himself
saw. 1.-THE impernence Of IT," legible on her cOun-
lendnce, WHcn next SuiHiHoHti 10 tH' 'dSl'
You Just did for yonrself-thats what YOU
did" said he at home subsequently, "thrustlng
in your noddle among all the grand lords and
ladies'. and thinking that that was time for
any to take notice of you One would have
thought you would have had the sense to turn
tail"
And what for should turn tail?" cried she
in high voice. 1T would have been very alb
surd when all drcss,d to make the call.
and you had let me have the gig and Lady Car
noustie was at home. FOR me To- have come away
from the door because some other people were
calling tOo,'
"It might have been absurd-it would have
been common-sense" The doctor had put ont
his lip and drawn his brOws together.
"Common-sense, What nonsense you talk, Men
know nothing abOu: society," but she had not
been clever at concnalinc her discontinue. Even