As I was packing a muslin frock I had never yet worn, and wishing I had something handsomer for the occasion, I suddenly thought of the paste pendant Mr. Rayner had given me. That would look quite dazzling peeping out of the muslin and lace round my throat. So I packed that and a piece of black velvet to wear it on; and I was scarcely ready before Jane came up to say that Lady Mills’s carriage was at the gate waiting for me. But just outside the hall door I met Laurence, with a rose in his hand. “Violet, Violet, don’t go without a word to me! Here--throw away that rose and wear mine.” “I will wear yours,” said I; “but I can’t throw away this one till it is dead. That would be ungrateful.” “Did Mr. Rayner give it you?” “Yes.” He snatched out of my hand the rose I had just taken from him, and flung it away. “I beg your pardon, Miss Christie, for my presumption in thinking you would accept mine after his. Good-evening.” He strode off towards the plantation path, and he would not turn round when I called “Laurence, Laurence!” I could not stay to run after him, even if I had been able to overtake him; so, with tears in my eyes, I plunged into the flower-bed where his rose had fallen and picked it up, and put Mr. Rayner’s gently on the ground instead. It was an ungrateful thing to do; but I must do what Laurence wished, even if he did not know it. And so with a very heavy heart I ran up the path to the carriage, and started on a visit which was to be strangely eventful to me. CHAPTER XVI. There were four ladies already in the carriage which was waiting for me at the gate--Lady Mills herself, with another more matronly-looking lady by her side, whose name, I already knew, was Mrs. Cunningham; and on the opposite seat were a younger lady with a rather sharp expression, named Mrs. Clowes, who was considered very clever, and an unmarried one some years older than I. I made the third on that seat; but there was plenty of room for us all. We drove back first to the High Field, that Lady Mills might tell the rest of the party to make haste, or they would be late for dinner. There were some ladies on the drag waiting for the gentlemen, who were now amusing themselves by selling off by auction some of the things remaining on the stalls, while the grooms were busy packing into the inside of the drag the curious collection of purchases made by the whole party. There was a dog-cart waiting, with a gentleman in it smoking; and standing by the horse’s head, also with a cigar in his mouth, was the tall fair gentleman whose face I now seemed to know the best of all. As soon as we drove up, he came to the side of the carriage. “You are horribly crowded in there; let me take Miss--Miss Christie in the dog-cart.” “And what will you do with Charlie, Tom?” “I’ll put Charlie behind.” “Charlie is getting used to being put behind,” said the eldest lady of all, looking at Mrs. Clowes, and laughing.