"Oh, is that all!" Her husband drew a sigh of relief. "You must write, of course, and explain your absence. She will understand, and it will be a relief to you, dear. I--er--I have some recollection of being at a picnic myself years ago. Uncomfortable occasion! Er--earwigs--meals on the grass--baskets to carry. You would have been very tired. Much more comfortable at the Metropole!" Mrs Faucit could not restrain a smile in spite of her concern. "Just so, Austin; but that is not the light in which the young people look at it. I was to chaperone the girls. I am thinking of them, not of myself. It will be a great disappointment." The Dean put up his eye-glasses, and stared at the three girls in turn. His own daughters were white with suppressed emotion, but Mildred's face was tragic in its agony of suspense. She did not say a word, but she turned her great, grey eyes upon him, piteous as those of a child who sees a surgeon standing over her, knife in hand; and as he met that glance the Dean rumpled his hair in perturbation of spirit. "Dear me! dear me! this is very distressing. Disappointed, are they? I don't want the children to be disappointed, Evelyn! Let them enjoy themselves. If they appreciate that sort of thing, let them go by all means. Why should they stay away because you are obliged to do so? Mrs Newland will look after them." "My dear Dean!" Lady Sarah shook out her serviette, and raised her voice to an even shriller note than usual. "My dear Dean, you don't realise what you are saying. The girls are not children any longer; they were fifteen their last birthday. In another two years, or three at the outside, they will be in society. You cannot possibly allow them to go to a large affair of this sort without a chaperone. Mrs Newland will be occupied with her guests, and will have no time to look after them. If Evelyn is obliged to go away, let the girls stay at home. They can surely bear a little disappointment. They will have bigger ones than this to bear as they go through life!" "True, Sarah,--quite true; but that is the more reason why I wish to postpone them as long as possible. I don't want the girls to miss their pleasure, Evelyn! Can nothing be done? Can't you think of some plan, dear? you are so clever. Is there no other alternative?" And the kindly Dean looked at his wife with a face full of anxiety. Mrs Faucit smiled back at him in the peculiarly sweet, reassuring manner which she reserved for himself and for Erroll, the youngest member of the family--a mischievous little rascal, who employed himself in getting into trouble all day long, and in rushing to throw himself upon his mother's tender mercies after each fresh exploit.