Page:The Semi-detached House.djvu/119

 "Is it possible?" slowly murmured Willis, "can any one be so blind to the sordid side of human nature and picnics? Ma'am, I am to pay her for them, that is, if I had kept them, I should have paid. She is a patroness, and has so many tickets she must dispose of, and she wished to pass four of them off on me, that's all," and he replaced them in the black envelope which contained a note in still deeper mourning, which note conveyed to the Baroness a stern intimation that "Mr. Willis never (two dashes under never) joined any (one dash) party of Pleasure, and was quite (two more dashes) unequal to the gaieties of a picnic." He looked at his note with a satisfied air of finished despondency.

"Miss Janet," said Charlie's nurse, presenting herself, "Lady Chester's compliments and she'd be much obliged if you would step in for a few minutes, if not ill-convenient."

"Nothing the matter with Charlie, is there?" said Janet jumping up. The two young aunts doted on that child.

"Bless your heart, no, Miss! except that