“He will be here shortly,” replied I, “but he positively refused to face the ladies till he had changed his shooting costume, so I left him up at the Hall to adonise. But how goes the game? who is winning?”
“As was certain to be the case, I am losing,” answered Fanny.
“Well, I won't disturb you,” returned I, “and perhaps you will have finished before Lawless makes his appearance; where is my mother, by-the-by?”
“She only left the room just as you returned,” replied Fanny quickly; “she has been sitting here ever since Mr. Oaklands came.”
“I do not wish to know where she has been, but where she is,” rejoined I; “I want to tell her that Lawless is coming to be introduced to her; is she upstairs?”
“I believe she is,” was the reply, “but you will only worry her if you disturb her; mamma particularly dislikes being hunted about, you know: you had better sit still, and she will be down again in a few minutes.”
“There is no such thing as free-will in this world, I believe,” exclaimed I, throwing myself back in an easy-chair; “however, as you do not very often play the tyrant, you shall have your own way this time. Harry, the chestnuts did their work to admiration; Lawless was delighted with them, and talked of nothing else half the way home.”
“I don't doubt it—your queen's in danger, Fanny,” was the answer.
Seeing that my companions appeared entirely engrossed by their game, I occupied myself with a book till I heard the ominous sounds, “Check! excuse me, the knight commands that square; you have but one move—checkmate!”
“Who has won? though I need not ask. How dare you beat my sister, Master Harry?”