I was unfortunately out of the way when Mr. Peter Ball did call, three days later. Mother and Christina were in, and Ariadne, who gave me a true account of it all. She says the first thing he said to Christina was, "I hope you don't think I have been too precipitate?" I suppose he meant in calling? He stared about him a good deal at first, and she thought that George's queer furniture made him feel shy, and that he thought the ivory figure of Buddha quite indecent. She was sure he didn't admire her (Ariadne), but only Christina, because Christina is a "tailor-made" girl, that men like. Mother made the tea very strong that afternoon, so as to make him feel at home, and then after all he didn't touch tea. She kindly offered him a brandy-and-soda and he declined that, but I expect it was only because it would have seemed disrespectful to Christina. All men are alike, and prone to a b. and s. if they can get it without disgrace. Mother was sure that he had fallen head-over-ears in love with Christina, and she with him at the very first sight. She told me so, and said she meant to help it on. "It is because Christina is so used to seeing George every day," said I. "Peter Ball is very different, isn't he?" Mother said that there was no accounting for tastes, and that for her part she considered George's type was the nicest. But whatever we did, she said, we were not to chaff Christina about it, and put her off a very good match. A girl of Christina's sort never took kindly to chaff, and though she should be sorry to lose Christina as a secretary to George, it being impossible to tell what sort of minx he might engage in her place, she for one wouldn't like any personal consideration whatever to interfere with Christina's establishment in life. Peter Ball is a landed gentry. He is M.F.H. in the county of Northumberland to the Rattenraw Hunt, and a capital shot and first-rate angler. When his old mother dies he will be richer, but he is a good son, and often stays with her in Leinster Gardens where he has asked me and Christina to go to tea next week.