"Out riding, hey! with mud a foot deep! Tell your mistress that I came to have my revenge for her beating me last night at piquet. The young people made such a rumpus with their talk I lost my head," and Ralph Jeffries looked vexed.
The youngster nodded and grinned. Later on came Polly Wharton and Miss Stuart, to meet with the same reply.
At the corner of the street they encountered Captain Nevitt and Vane, and an elderly officer.
"It is a fine day save for the mud!" exclaimed Sally. "Fine overhead, but few are going that way."
"We did not set out for that," returned Vane, smiling.
"And if you have set out for Madam Wetherill's it will be quite as useless. She and the young one have gone off larking, for wild flowers, I believe. Mistress Kent went with them for dragon."
Then the men looked at each other.
"How long have they been gone, I wonder."
Patty had looked up from her sewing at the second knock.