"Where has she gone to?" "Off on a maggot to Falmouth. They Whistlers went and give her a prime fright, sir: she heve hardly done shaking yet, and looks as gashly as you please. She heve gone to her aunt's to forget it." "Oh, to be sure," carelessly assented Frank: and rode on. A few minutes afterwards, when near Trennach, he met Mrs. St. Clare's carriage; herself, two ladies, and Lydia seated within it. The coachman pulled up by orders. Of course Frank had to do the same. "Have you been to The Mount, Mr. Raynor?" "No, I have been across to Pendon," he answered, keeping his hat off; and the breeze took advantage of that to stir the waves of his bright hair. "This makes two days that we have seen nothing of you," said Mrs. St. Clare. "You have not been near us since Tuesday night." A faint flush passed over his face. He murmured something about having been very busy himself--concluded they were occupied: but he spoke rather confusedly, not at all with the usual ready manner of Frank Raynor. "Well, we shall see you this evening, Mr. Raynor. You are coming to dine with us." Very hastily he declined the invitation. "I cannot come, thank you," he said. "I shall have patients to see, and must stay at home." "But you must come; you are to come," rejoined Mrs. St. Clare. "I have seen Dr. Raynor, and he has promised that you shall. Finally, Mr. Raynor, you will very much oblige me by doing so." What further objection could Frank make? None. He gave the required assent, together with a sweeping bow, as the carriage drove on. "What a bright-looking, handsome man!" exclaimed one of the ladies to Mrs. St. Clare. "I really do not remember, though, to have seen him the night of the ball, as you say I did." "Oh, he stuck himself in a corner all the night," put in Lydia. "I don't believe he came out of it once, or danced at all." "He is too good-looking for a doctor. I should tremble for my daughters' hearts." "_Being_ a doctor, there is, I hope, no cause for me to tremble for the hearts of mine," haughtily rejoined Mrs. St. Clare. "Not but that he is of fairly good family and expectations: the eldest son of Major Raynor and the heir to Eagles' Nest." Mrs. St. Clare, unconsciously to herself, was not altogether correct in this statement. But it may pass for the present. Frank rode home. Dr. Raynor was out; and he went into the parlour to Edina. She sat in the bow window, prosily darning stockings. "Why did Uncle Hugh promise Mrs. St. Clare that I should dine at The Mount to-night? Do you know, Edina?" "Because she invited you, I suppose. I saw the carriage at the door and papa standing at it as he talked to them. Don't you care to go?" "Not this evening--particularly." "Papa just looked in here afterwards and said would I tell you that you were to dine at The Mount. I thought you were fond of dining there, Frank." "So I am sometimes. Where is Uncle Hugh?" "He has been sent for to the parsonage. Mr. Pine is not well."