Page:The Country-House Party.djvu/57

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THE COUNTRY-HOUSE PARTY
49

putting his hand in his pocket, "till I show what I got you at the fair."

'"And is it yourself that's there, Dan McLoughlin?" she said to me softly, "and a lone man still. Why don't you get married and have a home to yourself, like me and Mike here, who never had an angry word between us, and we married this seven years."


Deborah Hayden laughed as Macarthy finished his story, with a droll turn of his eyes in her direction.

'Now,' said she, 'you are making fun of my sex, so I shall certainly leave you. Mrs. Barnes shall come with me, for I see you do not properly appreciate us. Come, Jenny dear. But where is Mrs. Barnes?'

A curtain was drawn back from the window, and pretty Jenny Barnes entered the room, her eyes very bright.

'I have been sitting on the balcony with Major Macdonald. It is so hot in the room. Your story was just sweet, dear Mrs. Hayden. Are we going to bed? Well, good-night all.'

Major Macdonald bowed them through the