is going to have iron hurdles all round the pleasure-ground, and I may as well speak to Giles about them to-morrow."
"Then could you not call on Mrs. Birkett, and say something a little civil to her to-morrow? "
"Why, you do not mean to say," said Lady Walden, laughing, "that Mr. Birkett presumes to have any political opinions of his own, after having attended me so lately, and with the hope of vaccinating baby still before his eyes?"
"I do not exactly make him out; he said he should not like to disoblige the family, but that he would rather not pledge himself; that the duchess had asked Mrs. Birkett to her last ball, and that this was a great political crisis, and so on. I do not know what plot is hatching, but I fully expect the duke's agent will start a second candidate, and that people are hanging back till they see who he is. Mr. Douglas was rather stiff, I thought, to-day."
"Impossible, Beaufort; the Douglases must be with us," said Lady Walden. "Mrs. Douglas hates the duchess."
"Yes; but that is no great distinction likely to tell in our favour. Mrs. Douglas hates so many people."
"And Mr. Douglas was on your committee last time, and he is such an excellent man."
"Very true, so far as his excellence goes; but he has declined being on our committee now."
"Yes, there is a screw loose with the clan of Douglas evidently," said Ernest, "and if I had but time I should like to ride over and pay a few delicate attentions to my little Miss Douglas."
"We will all drive over there to-morrow," said Lady Eskdale, "and take Mrs. Birkett in our way: indeed, I believe Mary Forrester was at Thornbank yesterday; were not you, my dear?"
"Yes, I was, but I think with Colonel Beaufort, though not exactly in his words, that there is a screw loose. Mrs.
