“I am sorry to say, Colonel, that Mr. Coristine has left us, and has gone back to Toronto.”

“O deah, that is a great loss; he was the life of our happy pahty, always so cheehful, so considehate, ready to sacrifice himself and lend a hand to anything.  I expected him back on my hohse.”

“Timotheus tells me that Mr. Bangs is going to bring your horse over this evening.”

“I’m gey and gled to hear ’t, gudewife.  I’d like weel tae hae anither crack wi’ Bangs.  But it’s an awfu’ shame aboot Coristine; had it no’ been for his magneeficent pluck, fleein’ on yon scoundrel like a lion, I’d hae been brocht hame as deed as a red herrin’.  Isna that true, granther?”

“It’s thrue, ivery worrud av it.  Savin’ the company, there’s not a jantleman I iver tuk to the way I tuk to that foine man, and as simple-harrted and condiscindin’ as iv he wor a choild.”

“Where is that lazy boy Arthur, I wonder?” asked Mrs. Carmichael; whereupon Miss Du Plessis told her story, and all joined in a hearty laugh at Mr. Lamb’s fright and sudden retreat.

Mr. Errol, feeling none the worse of the previous day’s splore, and still renewing his youth over the fish he and Mr. Bigglethorpe had caught, suddenly remembered and confessed:  “Dear me, Mrs. Carmichael, I forgot that I had Mr. Coristine’s merschaum, and his tobacco and penknife.  Puir lad, what’ll he dae withoot his pipe?”

“You naughty man, Mr. Errol, is it possible that you smoke?”

“Whiles, mem, whiles.”

“How many pipes a day, now, Mr. Errol?”

“Oh, it depends.  When I’m in smoking company, I can take a good many, eh Mr. Bigglethorpe?”

“Yesterday was a very special occaision, Mr. Errol.  You called it renewing your youth, you know, and nimed the picnic a splore.”

“I felt like a laddie again at the fishing, Mrs. Carmichael, just as light-hearted and happy as if I were a callant on the hills.”

“And what do you generally feel like?  Not an old man, I hope?”

“I’ll never be a young one again, Mrs. Carmichael.”

“Perfect nonsense, Mr. Errol!  Don’t let me hear you talk like that again.”

“Hearin’s obeyin’,” meekly replied the minister, showing that he was making some progress in his mature wooing.

After breakfast, the company sat out on the verandah.  The colonel had to smoke his morning cigar, and courteously offered his cigar case to all the gentlemen, who declined with thanks.  “If it were not that I might trouble the ladies,” said the minister, “I might take a draw out of poor Coristine’s meerschaum.”  Mrs. Carmichael at once said:  “Please do so, Mr. Errol; the doctor smoked, so that I am quite used to it.  I like to see a good man enjoying his pipe.”

“You are quite sure, Mrs. Carmichael, that it will not be offensive?  I would cut off my right hand rather than be a smoking nuisance to any lady.”

“Quite sure, Mr. Errol; go on and fill your pipe, unless you want me to fill it for you.  I know how to do it.”