Page:The New Monthly Magazine - Volume 097.djvu/429

Rh embrace, while they were yet alone, "do you know anything of the party they are planning for to-day?"

"What party, my love?"

"Some pic-nic of Mary Hardwick's. "Will you come?"

"I have no invitation."

"Nonsense about an invitation. It is in the open air, you know, and you can join us as if by accident. James, you must come."

"I will brave all for you, Emily," was his answer. "They have called me an intruder—a thruster forward of myself. No matter; the comments and ill-natured remarks of the world fall on my heart as the idle wind, whilst I have the consciousness of your love to make its sunshine."

" believe there's that Jim Ailsa coming here!" exclaimed Miss Margaret Bell to her companions, a merry party gathered round a dinner-table à-la-gipsey, on the outskirts of Beech Wood. "Who can have told him we were here?"

" Oh, he ferrets out our plans himself," retorted Tom Hardwick; "he has the deuce's luck and his own too at that underhand fun. Treat him with the contempt he deserves, all of you, and don't speak to him; do you hear, Mary?"

Mary Hardwick heard, but she possessed too much good feeling and politeness, to heed all her brother's counsels. James Ailsa was a thorough gentleman, save perhaps in pocket, and that he was not regarded as such by all Ebury was only owing to Mr. Tom Hardwick's incessant ridicule and abuse of him. Tom Hardwick was as inferior to Ailsa as one man can well be to another; but people are ever ready to take part with the great and powerful, and Mr. Tom Hardwick held the sway at Ebury.

Ailsa stood there in silence, after greeting the circle, and Miss Hardwick, somewhat timidly, proffered him an invitation to sit, and join their party.

"Enjoying a stroll in the woods this fine day, and so popped upon us unawares?" broke in Tom Hardwick, in a sarcastic tone.

"I am on my way to pay a visit £or Mr. Winninton," answered Ailsa. And he spoke the truth.

"Who is ill?" inquired Miss Hardwick. She did not doubt him.

"Mrs. Hudson," he replied.

"Then you have come a devilish deal out of your way," retorted Hardwick, coarsely. "It is a good mile nearer by the road."

"I was going by the road," returned Ailsa, "but cut across the fields on seeing you here."

He looked at Emily, seeking for a glance to recompense him for the painful position to which, for her sake, he had subjected himself, sensitive and unobtrusive as he was by nature; but he looked in vain. The ban was on him; he was a despised man; and Emily, proud, vain, and little-minded, followed the example around her, and noticed him not. Miss Hardwick felt deeply for his situation, and she engaged him in conversation, whilst most of the others left their places and dispersed about the wood. James rose from his seat, to leave.

"Emily must have told him we should be here," exclaimed Miss