will like them. Lady Waveryng is a charming woman—kind and unaffected, and he is a good fellow."
"Do you know them?" said Elsie, in surprise.
"I know all about them," he answered. "They will not know me, but some of my people live in Ireland near the Waveryngs."
"Oh! I know," said Ina. "Then you are one of the Blakes of Castle Coola? Horace was wondering."
"I have relations in Ireland, and they live at Castle Coola," answered Blake. "That is how I come to know about the Waveryngs. But I would rather you didn't talk about it, Lady Horace, if you don't mind, though there is no particular secret. The fact is I wasn't a credit to my family, and I left Ireland in disgrace, and have never had a word of communication with my people since. I am as dead to them as if I were dead in reality."
Elsie looked at him in a startled, pained way. It was the first time she had ever heard him speak of his people in Ireland, or in any definite manner of his past. Ina looked surprised, too, and a little pitiful. She was beginning to like Blake better than she had done at first.
"You need not be afraid of my talking about what you have said, Mr. Blake," she answered, "I shall not even tell Horace if you would rather not."
"Thank you, Lady Horace, certainly I would rather not. You are very good, and I am sure you are very loyal to your friends."
Ina flushed. "I must let Horace know about the Ullagong," she said. "I hope he won't go over to the North Side to-night."
She went out to the verandah. Lord Horace was greatly excited at the prospect of his sister's arrival, and declared he must start off to the North Side at once, and find out when the Ullagong would really be in. He said that he would stay at the club and beguile the time at billiards, and proposed that Hallett and Trant should accompany him. Trant accepted the invitation, and Ina cast an imploring glance at Hallett, who had not intended to go over yet. He changed his
