plumps me down on a chair, says, "Thanks awfully, ha!" and leaves me.

I lean my head dizzily against the wall, and feel very sea-sick and miserable, and my frock is torn; and then Mr. Inderwick came to me.

"I hope you are not hurt?" he said kindly.

"No, thank you," I replied; "but I feel sick and dizzy," and I closed my eyes. I really felt horribly sick, and the room spun round me. Perhaps it was on the top of the apple-ducking. I would have given much at that moment to have put my head somewhere. I felt faint and queer, and I daren't say so. Mr. Inderwick would think me an affected, little fool.

"Would you like me to get you a glass of wine?" I heard his voice say from somewhere; but it sounded faint and small, and as though it did not belong to him.

"No, thank you," I replied in a still smaller voice; "I'm all right." And the next moment there was a singing in my ears, a blackness before my eyes, and the whole room vanished.

It must have been only a momentary faintness, for when I came round I was still sitting on the same chair, and Mr. Inderwick was looking gravely at me.

"You turned faint?" he said inquiringly.

"Yes," I said, "I believe I did."

"Come with me. This place is hot; the diningroom is cool, and I'll get you some wine," he said, and he led me from the room.

I still felt as though I were somebody else and he was a long way off, and I walked shakily and the hall seemed misty.

"Now," he ordered, "drink this, and don't speak. You must lie down for a few minutes, and then you'll feel better."

I gulped down some neat brandy and dropped my head on to a cushion. How lovely and restful it was! And how far away the music sounded! I think I must have fallen into a doze, for the next time I opened my eyes Angela was leaning over me.

"Mr. Inderwick tells me you turned faint, Hazel. Are you better, and are you ready to go home? Rose has come for us," she said quite kindly.

“Yes,” I said, "I'm quite ready," and I rose from the couch. But I was still dizzy, and my knees shook under me. I managed, however, to get upstairs, and by the time my cloak and hat were on and I was outside in the fresh air, the world had resumed its normal proportions.

Mr. Inderwick overtook us, and walked with us to our gate.

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"Thank you," I said, as we shook hands. "It is the first time I have ever felt faint in my life; and I feel grateful to you for not fussing and announcing it to the room. I pride myself on my health and strength; but I think it was six oyster pates and appleducking combined."

"No," he said, "it wasn't. It was because a danc

ing Dervish caused you to spin round for ten minutes on end, and human nature couldn't stand it. Good-night."

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Good-night," I replied, laughing, and I went into the house feeling quite comforted.

"You turned faint once before, in church, so this makes the second time," remarked my sister with her customary accuracy.

"So I did," I replied. "I forgot."

CHAPTER XI

We Go to Tea with Mr. Inderwick, and I Describe the Dusting of Parian Jugs

WE

HEN Mr. Inderwick's invitation came for us all to go to tea (it was four days after the party) Angela remarked

"What a strange man! He is very unconventional." "Why?" asked mother. "I think it's very friendly and kind of him."

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'It may be," said Angela. "I don't deny it; but it shows he is unaccustomed to the usages of good society," and my sister stroked the gathers of a nightgown she was making with extra firmness and precision.

"But why?” again asked mother. "He has invited me to go with you both. He evidently understands the necessity for a chaperon, and I hope my new bonnet will be back in time."

"That is not the point," replied Angela. “Of course he realizes that it would be impossible for us two girls to go to the house alone."

"Not at all," I broke in. "I shouldn't care a button. I think it would be great fun to go quite by myself."

Angela regarded me in stony surprise for ten seconds, then she resumed her work in shocked silence.

"Well, Angela," resumed mother a little irritably, "what do you mean? Go on. In what way has Mr. Inderwick outraged that which is accepted as correct in good society?"

"By not returning our call, for one thing. It is nearly three weeks since we called on him, and you are aware that a first call should be returned within seven days. And, secondly, he should have waited for the first invitation, for the first advance toward friendship, to have come from us," and Angela closed her lips with a snap.

"Stuff and nonsense! bunkum and rot!" I shouted -I admit, rudely. "I never heard such nonsense in the whole of my life. You stay at home, Angela, if you are so mighty particular, and mother and Mr. Inderwick and I will have a nice little tea-party by our three selves."

Once again Angela regarded me in the way she regards spiders should they dare to cross a ceiling in her presence, and I shrivelled up. I cannot withstand Angela's gaze for more than sixty seconds at a time. My bones turn to water and my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth.

"But really, Angela," I continued weakly, "do you think we need observe all this etiquette quite so rigorously in a country village, and we have known Mr. Inderwick so many years—in a fashion ?"