in one hand, and an open telegram in the other, in

ay. It isn't that one ever does anything, you know, but one wastes suc

laying down her novel for a moment. "It really

r originality, and my first object is to forget everything I ha

arked, "is a politician's most

l is better," Mo

egram?" Lady

sts upon it that I interest myself in the election here, whi

ked up from her chai

" she said. "How interesting! We

annon, and laid down his

d in forgetting all that we did last session, and our programme for next. Now I've got to wade through it all.

shrugged he

uency thinks it worth while to be represented by su

"I was on the right side, a

e more amusing, and more impressive in every way. Who was the young man

rooks," Arranmore answe

he Radical

a vote I would let him convert me to Ra

f you like," Ar

ask him to s

swered. "I think he would be a wholesome

nnibul, K.C., inserted

links," he remarked. "They are quite dece

bil declared, put

ned in. "Hennibul can

st were left alone. He

lightly. "Will you play billiards, walk or drive? Ther

ke of my figure. I'm getting shockingly stout. Marie made me pr

e inches short of even that yet. Come and sit in the st

am much too comfort

he kept her hands, which rested willingly enough in his.

p half carefully enough to stand such a critical sur

miling. "I was wondering whether it was

but one year over that is fatal. Don't you know that now-a-days a woman goes straight from forty to sixty? It is such a delicious long rest.

the o

extending the limit to sixty-five. Lily Cestigan is seventy-one, you know, and she told me only last week that Mat Harlowe-you know Harlowe, he's rather a nice

going?" Arra

Caroom answered, thoughtfully. "She told him she'd think

n the show-house of the county. Arranmore's study was a small octagonal room leading out from the library. A fir

rked, thoughtfully,

yne

hought about him?" he answ

n't he?" she assented. "I

Sybil decide

aving to be dragged about to places, you know, and that sort of thing, j

s sprung up during my-absence from civilization. You want to grow up wit

aroom

surprised either if she developed views. I wish you were a marrying man, Arranmore. I used to thin

forgotten his letters. Lady C

What a pity it was that I was such a poverty-stricken begga

ep up like that we shall be getting positively sentimental presently, and if there's anything I adore in th

one night," he said

d-it was in the Setons' con

grieved tone, "I heard that you were enga

married, because Dumesnil always used to say that my complexion would give out in a year or two, and I wasted no end of time upon you, who were perfectly hopeless a

remarked, "wa

ith eyes sud

ore. After all, it was not eccentricity which caused you to throw up your work at the Bar-and disappear. It was your hopeles

you all these ye

s a revelation. Poor, dear man, how you must have suffered. This puts us

emboldens me to ask you a question which I have been dying to ask

r!" he r

ine in his hard, clear-cut face. His mouth was close drawn, his eyes were suddenly colder and expressionless. There was about him at such times as-these an almost r

ery quarter of the earth, from Zambesia to Pekin. But no one knew, and, of course, in a season or two y

't you see the marks of it in my face? For

ugh life had scorched you up at some time or other. But how? where? You were found in Canada

efore

o had been gazing steadily into the fire, loo

hings even than moral degeneration. You do me justice when you impute that I never ate from the tr

ed it up, placed it carefully in its place, and busied himself for a m

last year's pattern, and I am not sure that he is sound on the subject of collars. You know how important these things are to a young man

ured. "I should rely upon your t

ock at the door. A serv

up, and retained

be with him in a moment. If he has ridden

ady Caroom said, rising

ntil luncheon-time, and

ersations are so harro

ec

erful woman in England, as the Society papers were never tired of cal

ngston

econds, motionless.

oks in here,"