first, Torrington second, Castletowers third, and
Burgoyne fourth. It became evident, after the
first two rounds, that Vaughan, although a good
marksman, was inferior to both Castletowers
and Burgoyne, and that Torrington was nowhere.
Miss Hatherton and Miss Colonna were the
only two ladies who could follow the shots, or
understand the scoring; and this they did with
a degree of interest quite incomprehensible to
the rest. As the end drew near, and it became
evident that the victory lay between Burgoyne
and the Earl, Miss Hatherton's excitement
became intense.

"Ten to one on Lord Castletowers," she
exclaimed. "See how cool he is! See how
steadily he brings up his gun—ten to one,
gloves or guineas..... Will nobody take me?
In the white, I vow, and all but in the very
centre! Beat that, Sir Charles, if you can!"

"He will not beat it," said Olimpia, in a low,
earnest voice.

Miss Hatherton glanced at her again; but
scarcely for a second. She was too deeply
interested in the next shot to care much about
anything else just then. But she saw Olimpia's
parted lips, and the outlooking light in her eyes,
and thought of both afterwards.

Up to this point, Lord Castletowers had
scored four three times, and three twice, making
a total of eighteen. Sir Charles had scored four
twice, and three twice, making a total of fourteen.
The next shot would be his fifth, and
last. If he hit the bull's eye, it would be a
drawn game between Castletowers and himself,
and they would have to try again for the victory;
but if he scored anything less than four, the
Earl must win.

There was a moment of suspense. Sir Charles
brought up his gun very slowly, took aim twice
before he fired, and delivered an excellent shot
just on the line dividing the bull's eye from the
centre ring. He had lost by the sixteenth of
an inch.

The spectators round the ropes set up a faint
respectful shout in their squire's honour; the
non-competitors rushed up to the target; and
Saxon, too well pleased to care for the moment
whether Burgoyne heard him or not, shook his
friend by both hands, exclaiming:

"I am so glad, Castletowers—so heartily
glad! I did wish you to win those pistols!"

Olimpia's smile was cold and indifferent
enough when the Earl presented himself to
receive his prize; but Miss Hatherton's sharp
eyes saw that her hand trembled.

CHAPTER XXXIV.  A GUERDON.

THE long jump was jumped, and the hundred
yards race was run—Mr. Guy Greville winning
the first by four inches, and Major Vaughan
the second by four yards. Only the great race
remained to be contested. In the mean while,
half an hour was allowed for rest and refreshments.
The gentlemen thronged to the platform
in a mongrel costume compounded of
flannel trousers, cricketing-shoes, parti-coloured
Jerseys, and overcoats of various descriptions;
so that they looked like cricketing men below
and boating men above. Servants glided
solemnly about with Madeira and biscuits. The
ladies congratulated the victors, and the victors
congratulated each other. The spectators
outside the ropes strolled about respectfully, and
did a little subdued betting among themselves;
and the conversation on the platform was broken
up into coteries. One of these consisted of
Lady Arabella Walkingshaw, Lady Castletowers,
and her son.

"Vaughan ran well, didn't he?" said the
Earl. "I thought at one moment that Greville
would have distanced him; but Vaughan had
the most wind, and steady did it."

"You would do well, Gervase, to reserve
your sporting phraseology for your male friends,"
said Lady Castletowers, coldly. "You forget
that ladies do not appreciate its full point and
vigour."

"I beg your pardon, my dear mother; but it
comes so naturally when sport is the topic of
conversation," replied her son. "I hope you
are amused, Lady Arabella?"

"Oh yes, thank you—when you don't fire."

"There is, at all events, nothing undignified
in firing," observed the Countess.

"I hope you do not think our athletic games
undignified, mother?" said the Earl.

"For gentlemen, certainly. For boys, or
peasants, not at all."

"But a gentleman has as many and as good
muscles as a peasant. A gentleman values
strength and speed as much, and sometimes
more, than he values Greek and Latin; but,
like Greek and Latin, strength and speed must
be kept up by frequent exercise."

"I have no wish to argue the question," said
Lady Castletowers. "It is enough that I set a
higher value on skill than force, and that it
gives me no gratification to see half a dozen
gentlemen racing round a piece of sward for the
entertainment of a mob of gamekeepers and
ploughmen."

"Nay—for our own entertainment and yours,
dearest mother," replied the young man, gently.
"We have never yet shut our park gates on
these good people; but their presence goes for
nothing in what we do to-day."

He spoke very deferentially, but with a faint
flush of annoyance on his face, and passed on to
where Miss Hatherton was chatting with Saxon
Trefalden.

"It will be a long time," she said, "before I
can forgive you for my disappointment of this
morning. And I know I am right. You could
have beaten everybody at everything, if you had
pleased. It was an absurd piece of Quixotism,
and I am very angry with you for it. There—
don't attempt to deny it. Lord Castletowers
has confessed, and it is of no use for you to plead
not guilty."

"Lord Castletowers never saw me leap a foot
or run a yard in his life," said Saxon,
emphatically. "He knows nothing of what I can,
or cannot do."

"I am here to answer for myself," said the