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She squinted up atslowly

"It’ll do for fit, and the bit o’ piping’s good; brings out the color in your cheeks But begging your pardon,above the neck, not to look too bare If you won’t have a cap nor a wig, ht be you’d have a ribbon?"

"Oh, ribbon!" I said, reood idea Do look in ht just do"

Between us we th of dark pink ribbon, da down--I couldn’t stop them--around my ears and brow

"Not too much mutton dressed as lamb, is it?" I asked, suddenly worried I sly--and trimly--around my waist

"Oh, no, madame," the sempstress assured me "Quite appropriate, and I say it"Only it is a bit bare over the bosom, still You haven’t any jewelry, at all?"

"Just this" We turned in surprise as Jamie ducked his head to co

He had soed to have a bath and procure a clean shirt and neckcloth; beyond that, someone had combed and plaited his hair into a smooth queue, bound with the new blue silk ribbon His serviceable coat had not only been brushed, but iilt buttons, each delicately engraved with a s one

"Rented frooldsmith," he said "But they’ll do So will this, I think" He drew out a filthy handkerchief froold chain

"He hadna ti in concentration as he fastened the chain aroundglinting just above the hollow of ainst lad you picked that one," I said, touching the stone gently It arm from his body "Goes much better with the dress than the sapphire or the elanced from oing up by leaps and bounds

Jamie had finally taken time to notice the rest of my costume His eyes traveled slowly over me from head to hem, and a smile spread across his face

"Ye make a verra ornamental jewel box, Sassenach," he said "A fine distraction, aye?"

He glanced out the here a pale peach color stained a hazy evening sky, then turned to ht I claim the pleasure of your company for dinner, madame?"

7

GREAT PROSPECTS FRAUGHT WITH PERIL

While I was fa that could be physically overpowered and dragged to the table, I did not subscribe to the h they had not in fact undergone the inter their appearance at dinner

I thus viewed the large sturgeon hich I sat eyeball-to-eyeball with a marked lack of appetite Complete not only with eyes but with scales, fins, and tail, the three-foot fish rode majestically on waves of roe in aspic, decorated with a vast quantity of tiny spiced crabs, which had been boiled whole and scattered artistically over the platter

I took another large sip of wine and turned to lare of the sturgeon by my elbow

"…the , by way of describing a gentleman he had encountered in a post-house whilst on his way to Wilton from his property near New Bern

"Why, in the very an to speak of his piles, and what tor And then damme if the crude fellow did not pull his kerchief out of his pocket, all spotted with blood, to show the company by way of evidence! Quite destroyedup a substantialeyes that reeon’s

Across the table, Phillip Wylie’s long mouth twitched with amusement

"Take care your conversation doesn’t incur a similar effect, Stanhope," he said, with a nod at h a certain crudeness of company is one of the perils of public transport, I do ad crumbs from the folds of his neckcloth

"Needn’t put on airs, Wylie It’s not everyone can afford to keep a coachman, ’specially not with all these fresh taxes New one stuck on every tinantly "Tobacco, wine, brandy, all very well, but a tax upon newspapers, have you heard the like? Why, ree from Yale University a year past"--he puffed his chest unconsciously, speaking just slightly louder than usual--"and da, merely to have his diploer the case at present," Cousin Edwin said patiently "Since the repeal of the Stamp Act--"