"Horrid snob!" laughed Charley, "such a languid swell! Do you know what our set call him? But there, of course you don't! `Donkey Bray' or else `Long-ears!'" "There, there--never mind that! I don't want you to marry him, Charley. And there--there's Beauty at the door!" exclaimed the old gentleman, shaking his son's hand. "Go and have your ride, Charley! Good-bye! But you'll think of what I said?" "I will, honestly," said the young man. "And--stay a moment, Charley: Lexville flower-show is to-morrow. I can't go. Couldn't you, just to oblige me? I like to see these affairs patronised; and Pruner takes a good many of our things over. He generally carries off a few prizes. I see they've quite stripped the conservatory. You'll go for me, won't you?" "Yes, father, if you wish it," sighed Charley. "I do wish it, my dear boy; but don't sigh, pray!" "All right, dad," said the young man, brightening, and shaking Sir Philip's hand, "I'll go; give away the prizes, too, if they ask me," he laughed. And the next moment the door closed upon his retreating form. Sir Philip Vining listened to his son's departing step, and then muttering, "They will ask him too," he rose, and went to the window, from which he could just get a glimpse of the young man mounting at the hall-door. The next moment Charley cantered by upon a splendid roan mare, turning her on to the lawn-like sward, and disappearing behind a clump of beeches. "He's a noble boy!" muttered the father proudly; and then as he walked thoughtfully back to his chair, "A fine dashing fellow!" But of course these were merely the fond expressions of a weak parent. Volume 1, Chapter V. CHARLEY'S ENCOUNTERS. "Bai Jove, Vining! that you?" languidly exclaimed a little, thin, carefully-dressed man, ambling gently along on one of the most thoroughly-broken of ladies' mares, whose pace was so easy that not a curl of her master's jetty locks was disarranged, or a crease formed in his tightly-buttoned surtout. His figure said "stays" as plainly as figure could speak; he wore an eyeglass screwed into the brim of his very glossy hat; his eyes were half closed; his moustache was waxed and curled up at the ends like old-fashioned skates; and his carefully-trained whiskers lightly brushed their tips against his shoulders. And to set off such arrangements to the greatest advantage, he displayed a great deal of white wristband and shirt-front; his collar came down into the sharpest of peaks; and he rode in lemon-kid gloves and patent-leather boots. "Hallo, Max!" exclaimed Charley, looking like some Colossus as he reined in by the side of the dandy, who was going in the same direction along a shady lane. "How are you? When did you come down?" "So, so--so, so, mai dear fellow! Came down la-a-ast night. But pray hold in that confounded great beast of yours: she's making the very deuce of a dust! I shall be covered!"