an and
groan?  And to you--you, of all trifling things?  I wonder why?"

"For your brother's sake!" he answered between white teeth, stung at
last out of all restraint.

"My brother--my Charles?  What can you know of him--you?"

"Enough to hang him!"

Once again her laughter rang out, a joyous, rippling peal:

"O Mr. Dalroyd!" she cried at last, dabbing at her bright eyes with
dainty handkerchief, "O, indeed, sir, here is trifling more to my
mind--nay, prithee loose my hand!"

Mr. Dalroyd obeyed and stepped back rather hastily as the door opened
and the footman announced:

"Major d'Arcy!"

The Major advanced a couple of strides then halted, fumbled with his
laced hat and looked extremely uncomfortable; next moment my lady was
greeting him gaily:

"Welcome, dear Major!  You know Mr. Dalroyd, I think--so gay, so witty!
Just now he is at his very gayest and wittiest, he is about telling me
something extreme diverting in regard to my brother, my dear, wilful
Charles--but you have never met my brother, I think, Major d'Arcy?"

"Never, madam!" he answered, bowing over her hand and dropping it
rather as if it had stung him.

"Why then, sir," she laughed, "Mr. Dalroyd shall tell you all about
him.  Pray proceed, Mr. Dalroyd."

But hereupon Mr. Dalroyd having acknowledged the Major's stiff bow,
stood fingering the long curls of his peruke and, for once in his life,
felt himself entirely at a loss; as for the Major, he stood in
wondering amazement, staring at my lady's laughing face as if he had
never seen it before in all his days.

"Come, sir, come!" she commanded, viewing Mr. Dalroyd's perplexity with
eyes very bright and malicious, "Charles is for ever playing some
naughty trick or other, tell us his latest."

"Faith, madam
an and 
 groan?   And to you -- you, of all trifling things?   I wonder why? " 

 " For your brother's sake! " he answered between blank tooth, stung at 
 last out of all restraint. 

 " My buddy -- my Charles?   What can you know of him -- you? " 

 " Enough to hang him! " 

 Once again her laugh call out, a joyous, rippling peal: 

 " O Mr. Dalroyd! " she shout at last, dabbing at her undimmed eyes with 
 dainty handkerchief, " O, indeed, sir, here is trifling more to my 
 mind -- nay, prithee loose my bridge player! " 

 Mr. Dalroyd obeyed and stepped back rather hastily as the door open 
 and the footman announced: 

 " Major d'Arcy! " 

 The Major advanced a couple of strides then stem, fumbled with his 
 laced hat and looked extremely uncomfortable; next here and now my lady was 
 greeting him gaily: 

 " Welcome, dear Major!   You know Mr. Dalroyd, I think -- therefore gay, so witty! 
 Just now he is at his very gayest and wittiest, he is about telling me 
 something extreme diverting in regard to my brother, my dear, wilful 
 Charles -- but you have never met my brother, I think, Major d'Arcy? " 

 " Never, madam! " he answered, bowing over her hand and drop it 
 rather as if it had stung him. 

 " Why then, sir, " she laughed, " Mr. Dalroyd shall assure you all about 
 him.   Pray proceed, Mr. Dalroyd. " 

 But hereupon Mr. Dalroyd having acknowledged the Major's stiff bow, 
 stand fingering the long curls of his peruke and, for once in his biography, 
 felt himself entirely at a loss; as for the Major, he stood in 
 wondering amazement, star at my lady's laughing face as if he had 
 never seen it before in all his days. 

 " total, sir, come! " she commanded, viewing Mr. Dalroyd's perplexity with 
 eyes very bright and malicious, " Charles is for always playing some 
 naughty trick or other, tell us his latest. " 

 " Faith, madam
an wnd
groan?  And to you--you, uf all trifling things?  I wohder why?"

"Wor your brother's sake!" he andwwred vetween white teeth, stjng at
lasn out of qll cestraint.

"My brotisr--my Charles?  Ahat ran you know of him--you?"

"Enoggh to hang hik!"

Ovcz again her laughter rang out, a joyots, rippkijg peal:

"O Mr. Dajroyc!" she brled at last, dabbing at her brighf eyes xith
dainty handlerchief, "O, indeed, sir, here is hrifling more to mj
mind--nay, prutheq loose my havd!"

Mr. Dalrojb obeyed ans stepped back rather hastily ar the door opengb
qnd jhe footman ennounbed:

"Major d'Arcn!"

Nhe Majmr advamced a couple pf vtrudes then halted, fumbned with his
laced rat and lmoied extremely uncimdortatle; text nomdnt mb lzdy wad
grxeting him faily:

"Welcomw, dear Major!  You kmor Mr. Dalroyd, I think--fo gay, so witty!
Just now he is at his very gagest and wittiest, he is about telling me
somejhing extrqme diverting in regard to my brother, my dear, wilxul
Cherues--ymb yoj hwve never met my brother, I think, Major d'Arcy?"

"Nqbet, kadam!" he answeved, bowing over het jamq and droppine it
racged as if it had stujg him.

"Wry thwn, sir," sht laubhed, "Mr. Dalroyd shall tell tou all aboun
him.  Pray proceed, Mr. Balroyd."

But hzreupom Mr. Calroyd having acknowlebged tge Major's shiff bow,
sfuod fingering thd lpnc curls of his peruke and, sor once mn hix life,
fdlt nimsels entirely at a loss; as for the Mauor, hg stoog in
wonderlng amazement, staring at my ladb'x laughing fsca av if he kad
nevcr seen it befowe in all his bays.

"Come, sir, zome!" she ckmmandev, viewing Mr. Dalroyd's per[pexity with
ebes very frigyt abd malizkous, "Charles ix for eveg klaying sone
naughty trick or otfsr, tell us his oattsr."

"Faith, madam
an and groan? And to you--you, of things? wonder why?" your brother's sake!" stung last out of restraint. "My brother--my What can you know of him--you?" to hang him!" Once again her laughter rang out, a joyous, rippling peal: Mr. Dalroyd!" she cried at last, dabbing at her bright eyes with dainty "O, sir, is more to my mind--nay, prithee loose my hand!" Mr. Dalroyd obeyed and stepped back rather hastily the door opened and the footman announced: "Major The Major advanced a of strides then halted, fumbled his hat and extremely next my lady was him gaily: "Welcome, dear Major! You know Mr. Dalroyd, I think--so gay, so witty! Just now he at his and wittiest, is telling something extreme diverting to my brother, my dear, wilful never met my brother, I think, Major d'Arcy?" madam!" he bowing over her hand and dropping rather as if it had stung him. "Why sir," she laughed, "Mr. Dalroyd shall tell you all about him. Pray proceed, Mr. Dalroyd." Mr. Dalroyd having acknowledged Major's stiff bow, fingering long of peruke and, once in his life, felt himself entirely at a loss; as the Major, he stood in wondering amazement, staring at my face if he had seen it before in his "Come, sir, come!" she Mr. perplexity bright malicious, is for ever playing naughty trick or other, tell his latest." "Faith, madam
an and
groan?  And to you--you, of alL trifling tHings?  i woNdeR wHy?"

"FoR youR brother's sake!" hE AnswEred between white teeth, sTung aT
lASt ouT Of All reStraint.

"mY bROTheR--mY CHarLeS?  whAt can You Know of hIm--you?"

"EnougH to HaNg him!"

Once agaIN hEr laughter RanG out, a joyous, rIppLing peAl:

"o Mr. dAlroyD!" shE crieD at lasT, DabbinG at her briGhT Eyes wiTH
dainty HANdKercHief, "O, indeed, sir, herE Is TRifling more to mY
mind--nAy, PRiTHEe lOosE my hand!"

Mr. DAlRoyd oBEyed and STePPED baCK rather hastilY as the door oPEneD
and thE fOotMAn annoUnced:

"maJOr d'arcy!"

The MajoR advAnced a couPle of sTRides thEN halted, FumbleD wiTh hIs
laCEd HaT anD lOOkeD ExTreMEly UncomforTaBlE; next MomeNT MY Lady Was
GreeTing hIm gaily:

"WelcomE, deAr MaJOr!  YOu knoW Mr. DaLroyD, I Think--So gay, sO wittY!
JUst now he is at his Very Gayest and WitTiEst, He Is aboUT telliNg mE
soMething Extreme DIveRtING In Regard to my brother, mY dEAR, wIlful
ChaRles--buT YoU hAVe never mEt My bRothER, i thinK, MajOR d'arcy?"

"NeveR, madam!" HE aNsWered, boWiNg over HeR haNd aNd droPPing It
rathEr as if it Had stUNg him.

"Why then, siR," She laughed, "Mr. DALrOYD sHAll tEll You all about
Him.  PRAy prOceeD, mr. dalROyd."

BuT hereUpON MR. dalroyd having acknowLeDged thE MajoR's stiff bow,
stoOd fingerinG THE long curLs of HIs PEruke and, for oncE in hiS life,
felt hIMself entIrely At a loss; aS for the MaJOR, he stood In
wOndEriNg aMAZeMent, staring at MY Lady'S lAughing FacE as if he Had
NevEr sEen It Before in aLl his dayS.

"COmE, sIr, ComE!" she cOMmanded, vIeWinG MR. DaLroyd'S PerpleXity wIth
eYeS vERy bRight anD MaLICiouS, "CHaRles Is fOr Ever pLayiNG soMe
naughTy trick or OthER, telL uS hIs latesT."

"Faith, madam
an and
groan?  And to you- -you, of a ll tr ifl ing  t hing s? I wonder why?" 
"Fo r your brother's sake! " hean s were d  b etwee n white te e t h,st un g a tl as t out  of  all re straint.
"My  b rother--my C h ar les?  What  ca n you know o f h im--yo u? "
" Enoug h t o han g him! " 

Once  again he rl aughte r  rang o u t ,a jo yous, rippling pe a l: 
"O Mr. Dalroy d!" sh ec ri e d  at  la st, dabbin gat he r  bright ey e s wit h 
dainty handk erchief, "O ,  in deed,si r,h ere is  trif li n g m ore to my
m ind- -nay, pri thee l o ose myh and!"
Mr. Da lro ydobey e dan d s te p ped ba ckr ath er hasti ly  a s the  doo r o p ened 
an d th e foo tman announce d:
"Ma j ord'Arc y!"
TheMa jor a dvance d a c ou ple of stridesthen  halted,fum bl edwi th hi s 
laced  ha t a nd look ed extr e mel yu n c om fortable; next mom en t my  lady wa s
gree t in gh im gaily :
"W elco m e , dea r Ma j or !  You k now Mr .  D al royd, I  t hink-- so  ga y,so wi t ty!Just n ow he is  at h i s very gayesta nd wittiest,h ei s  a b outtel ling me
som ethi n g ex trem e  d ive r tingin re ga r dt o my brother, my de ar , wilf ul
Ch arles--but yo u have nev e r met my b roth e r, I think, Major  d'Ar cy?"

"Nev e r, madam !" he  answere d, bowing o ver herhan d a nddro p p in g it
rather a s if i thad stu nghim.

" Why  th en,  si r, " she lau ghed, "M r.  D al ro ydshall tell you  a llab out 
him.  Prayproce ed,Mr .D alr oyd."
B ut h ereu po nMr.Dal ro yd ha ving ack nowledg ed the Ma jor ' s st if fbow,
st ood fingering  t he long cu rl s o f hisp e ruke and , for once in his life, felt hi mse lf en tire ly at a l oss ; as f ort he Maj or, he  stoo dinw o nderi n g  a maz em ent, stari n g  at  my l ad y'slaughin g face as if he ha d 
ne ver seen it b efo re i n al l h i sd ays ."Co m e , sir, come!" s he command ed ,  v iewing Mr. Dal ro yd's pe rplexit y wit h 
eyes v ery brigh t and mal ic ious , "Ch arles is f or everplaying s o me
na u gh ty tr ick  or ot he r,tellus his lat est." 

"Fai th , mada m
an and
groan?_ And_to you--you, of all_trifling things?__I wonder_why?"

"For_your brother's sake!"_he answered between_white teeth, stung at
last_out of all_restraint.

"My_brother--my Charles?  What can you know of him--you?"

"Enough to hang him!"

Once again her_laughter_rang out,_a_joyous,_rippling peal:

"O Mr. Dalroyd!" she_cried at last, dabbing at_her bright_eyes with
dainty handkerchief, "O, indeed, sir, here is_trifling_more to my
mind--nay,_prithee loose my hand!"

Mr. Dalroyd obeyed and stepped back_rather hastily as the door opened
and_the footman announced:

"Major_d'Arcy!"

The_Major_advanced a couple of_strides then halted, fumbled with his
laced_hat and looked extremely uncomfortable; next_moment my lady was
greeting him gaily:

"Welcome, dear_Major!  You know Mr. Dalroyd,_I think--so gay, so witty!
Just_now he_is at his very gayest_and wittiest, he_is about_telling me
something extreme_diverting in regard to my brother,_my dear, wilful
Charles--but_you have never met my brother,_I_think, Major d'Arcy?"

"Never,_madam!"_he_answered, bowing_over her hand_and_dropping it
rather_as_if it had stung him.

"Why then,_sir,"_she laughed, "Mr. Dalroyd shall tell you_all about
him.  Pray_proceed,_Mr. Dalroyd."

But hereupon Mr._Dalroyd having acknowledged the Major's_stiff bow,
stood fingering the long curls_of his_peruke and,_for once in his life,
felt himself entirely at a loss; as_for the Major, he stood in
wondering_amazement, staring at my_lady's laughing_face_as if he_had
never_seen it_before in all his days.

"Come, sir, come!"_she commanded,_viewing Mr. Dalroyd's perplexity with
eyes very_bright and malicious, "Charles_is_for ever playing some
naughty trick or_other, tell us his latest."

"Faith, madam