Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

LADY ASCOT'S LITTLE NAP. 61
the old age of the year; and its peace seemed to make itself felt
on these two wild young birds; for they were silent more than
half the way home.: and then Charles said, in a low voice, -
"Dear Adelaide, I hope you have chosen aright. The time
will come when you will have to make a more important decision
than any you have made yet. At one time in a man's or woman's life, they say, there is a choice between good and evil. In
God's name, think before you make it."
" Charles," she said, in a low and disturbed voice, " if a conjurer were to offer to show you your face in a glass, as it would be
ten years hence, should you have courage to look?"
"I suppose so; would not you?"
"O, no, no, no! How do you know what horrid thing would
look at you, and scare you to death? Ten years hence; where
shall we be then?"
CHAPTER X.
LADY ASCOT'S LITTLE NAP.
THERE was a very dull dinner at Ranford that day. Lord
Ascot scarcely spoke a word; he was kind and polite, - he
always was that, -but he was very different from his usual self.
The party missed his jokes; which, though feeble and sometimes
possibly "rather close to the wind," served their purpose,served to show that the maker of them was desirous to make
himself agreeable to the best of his ability. IIe never laughed
once during dinner, which was very unusual. It was evident
that Lord Saltire had performed his commission, and Charles was
afraid that he was furiously angry with Welter; but, on one occasion, when the latter looked up suddenly and asked him some
question, his father answered him kindly in his usual tone of
voice, and spoke to him so for some time.
Lady Ascot was a host in herself. With a noble self-sacrifice,
she, at the risk of being laughed at, resolved to attract attention
by airing some of her most remarkable opinions. She accordingly attacked Lord Saltire on the subject of the end of the
world, putting its total destruction by fire at about nine months
from that time. Lord Saltire had no opinion to offer on the
probability of Dr. Going's theory, but sincerely hoped that it
might last his time, and that he might be allowed to get out of
the way in the ordinary manner. He did not for a moment