“We fell in with a Sunday-school picnic along in the glen, and Archie made me take him there.  And he had tea—­I hope the little chap won’t be ill, by the by.  And he made a speech or a recitation or something of the sort.  Nobody understood it, but it went down like anything.”

“And do you mean to say that the people gave him money, and you allowed him to take it?” asked an outraged mother.

“He won it,” said George.  “Won it in fair fight.  He was second in the race under twelve, and first in the race under ten.  They gave him a decent handicap, and he simply romped home.  That chap can run, Mabel.  He tried the sack race, too, but the first time he slipped altogether inside the thing and had to be taken out, yelling.  But he stuck to it like a Trojan, and at the second shot he got started all right, and would have won it if he hadn’t lost his head and rolled down a bank.  He isn’t scratched much, considering he fell among whins.  That also explains the state of his hat.”

“George, you shall never, never, as long as I live, take my son out with you again.  It is a wonder the poor child escaped with his life.  You have not a scrap of feeling.  I must take the boy away or he will shame me before everybody.  Come and talk to Mrs. Andrews, George.  May I introduce my brother, Mr. Winterham?”

George, who wanted to smoke, sat down unwillingly in the chair which his sister had left.  The lady, whose airs and graces were all for men, put on her most bewitching manner.

“Your sister and I have just been talking about this exquisite place, Mr. Winterham.  It must be delightful to live in such a centre of old romance.  That lovely ‘Riding of Etterick’ has been running in my head all the way up.”

George privately wondered at the confession.  The peculiarly tragic and ghastly fragments which made up “The Riding of Etterick,” seemed scarcely suited to haunt a lady’s memory.

“Had you a long drive?” he asked in despair for a topic.

“Only from Glenavelin.”

He awoke to interest.  “Are you staying at Glenavelin just now?  The Wisharts are in it, are they not?  We were a great deal about the place when the Manorwaters were there.”

“Oh yes.  I have heard about Lady Manorwater from Alice Wishart.  She must be a charming woman; Alice cannot speak enough about her.”

George’s face brightened.  “Miss Wishart is a great friend of mine, and a most awfully good sort.”

“And as you are a great friend of hers I think I may tell you a great secret,” and the lady patted him playfully.  “Our pretty Alice is going to be married.”

George was thoroughly roused to attention.  “Who is the man?” he asked sharply.

“I think I may tell you,” said Mrs. Andrews, enjoying her sense of importance.  “It is Mr. Stocks, the new member.”

George restrained with difficulty a very natural oath.  Then he looked at his informant and saw in her face only silliness and truth.  For the good woman had indeed persuaded herself of the verity of her fancy.  Mr. Stocks had told her that he had her father’s consent and good wishes, and misinterpreting the girl’s manner she had considered the affair settled.