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254 CHAPTER XXVI

THE CORROBOREE.

never had Elsie seemed sweeter, more womanly than at this time. All who remarked her observed that her engagement had greatly improved Miss Valliant. Blake watched her closely, and made up his mind that she was unhappy. But beyond the ordinary intercourse of a bush house, which necessarily implies a good deal of familiarity, he did not seek her society. And she made no effort to force his confidence, or to talk to him from the inner view of things. She only wondered within herself whether he and Trant had settled their differences as to the matter of that enterprise, whatever it might be, in which Blake's 'damned sentimentality' stood in the way. She speculated much upon the nature of that sentimentality, and even conjectured whether it could possibly have any relation to herself.

There was no lack of interest and amusement at the Dell. Lord Horace was a good host: and Ina in her quietude and gentleness made her guests happy. She was gentle and sweet to Mrs. Allanby. who must have been a serpent indeed could she have overtly prosecuted schemes for the undermining of poor Ina's happiness. As for the men, they had plenty to do. There was duck shooting on the creek, and an attempt at a shooting luncheon, which became a very scrambling picnic, in which no pair could apparently succeed in finding any other pair. The day after Jem Hallet's coming was signalized by the wild-horse chase, from which the ladies were naturally excluded, though Lady Waveryng pleaded hard to be allowed to risk her neck, hut in which Lord Waveryng joined with some trepidation, and the promise of a black boy in attendance to steer him home, should he find the country too rough. He came home, however, safe and sound, swinging a chestnut tail as a trophy, and full of Blake's feats of horsemanship and the magnificent performances of the Baròlin horses as bestridden