on the morrow.  It was already dark, and surely he might have been content on the first evening of his arrival to abstain from the stables!  Not a word had been said to Sophie Mellerby of Lady Scroope’s future hopes.  Lady Scroope and Lady Sophia would each have thought that it was wicked to do so.  But the two women had been fussy, and Miss Mellerby must have been less discerning than are young ladies generally, had she not understood what was expected of her.  Girls are undoubtedly better prepared to fall in love with men whom they have never seen, than are men with girls.  It is a girl’s great business in life to love and to be loved.  Of some young men it may almost be said that it is their great business to avoid such a catastrophe.  Such ought not to have been the case with Fred Neville now;—­but in such light he regarded it.  He had already said to himself that Sophie Mellerby was to be pitched at his head.  He knew no reason,—­none as yet,—­why he should not like Miss Mellerby well enough.  But he was a little on his guard against her, and preferred seeing his horses first.  Sophie, when according to custom, and indeed in this instance in accordance with special arrangement, she went into Lady Scroope’s sitting-room for tea, was rather disappointed at not finding Mr. Neville there.  She knew that he had visited his uncle immediately on his arrival, and having just come in from the park she had gone to her room to make some little preparation for the meeting.  If it was written in Fate’s book that she was to be the next Lady Scroope, the meeting was important.  Perhaps that writing in Fate’s book might depend on the very adjustment which she was now making of her hair.

“He has gone to look at his horses,” said Lady Scroope, unable not to shew her disappointment by the tone of her voice.

“That is so natural,” said Sophie, who was more cunning.  “Young men almost idolize their horses.  I should like to go and see Dandy whenever he arrives anywhere, only I don’t dare!” Dandy was Miss Mellerby’s own horse, and was accustomed to make journeys up and down between Mellerby and London.

“I don’t think horses and guns and dogs should be too much thought of,” said Lady Scroope gravely.  “There is a tendency I think at present to give them an undue importance.  When our amusements become more serious to us than our business, we must be going astray.”

“I suppose we always are going astray,” said Miss Mellerby.  Lady Scroope sighed and shook her head; but in shaking it she shewed that she completely agreed with the opinion expressed by her guest.

As there were only two horses to be inspected, and as Fred Neville absolutely refused the groom’s invitation to look at the old carriage horses belonging to the family, he was back in his aunt’s room before Miss Mellerby had gone upstairs to dress for dinner.  The introduction was made, and Fred did his best to make himself agreeable.  He was such a man that no girl could, at the first sight of him,