till the 18th. Mr. Gaveston had a bet on a boat race that he wanted to see the result of; they had therefore arranged to start on the 17th, sleep at Maningtree that night, and reach home the next day to dinner.
"On the same evening, that is on the 16th, as we were sitting in the servants' hall after supper, there came a ring at the back-door. I remember we were all talking about Mabel the dairymaid, who had just got up and left the room, as she usually did, the moment meals were over. It was very well known that Andrew was in love with her; and as she was a beautiful creature, there was not a man in the house but was his rival; and they were not a little jealous because they fancied she showed him more favour than the rest. But, for my part, I always saw, that Mabel had no thoughts of Andrew more than of the others; and that she was much too proud to listen to a poor boy who had nothing but his livery. However, more out of envy, I believe, than because they thought it, they insisted that she liked him, recalling several little kindnesses that she had shown him during his illness, and prophesying that now he had recovered, it would soon be a match. But Mr. Jeremy, the butler, was of a different opinion. 'No, no,' said he, 'them
