‘Oh but you must be grateful, sir; and you must love her and pity her,’ retorted Mary.  ’Think how sadly she has suffered.  We cannot be too kind to her, or too fond of her, poor dear.’

‘Mary is right,’ said Hammond, half in jest and half in earnest.  ’What wonderful instincts these young women have.’

’Come and see her ladyship; and then you must have dinner, just as you had that first evening,’ said Mary.  ’We’ll act that first evening over again, Jack; only you can’t fall in love with Lesbia, as she isn’t here.’

’I don’t think I surrendered that first evening, Mary.  Though I thought your sister the loveliest girl I had ever seen.’

‘And what did you think of me, sir?  Tell me that,’ said Mary.

’Shall I tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?’

‘Of course.’

’Then I freely confess that I did not think about you at all.  You were there—­a pretty, innocent, bright young maiden, with big brown eyes and auburn hair; but I thought no more about you than I did about the Gainsborough on the wall, which you very much resemble.’

‘That is most humiliating,’ said Mary, pouting a little in the midst of her bliss.

‘No, dearest, it is only natural,’ answered Hammond.  ’I believe if all the happy lovers in this world could be questioned, at least half of them would confess to having thought very little about each other at first meeting.  They meet, and touch hands, and part again, and never guess the mystery of the future, which wraps them round like a cloud, never say of each other, There is my fate; and then they meet again, and again, as hazard wills, and never know that they are drifting to their doom.’

Mary rang bells and gave orders, just as she had done in that summer gloaming a year ago.  The young men had arrived just at the same hour, on the stroke of nine, when the eight o’clock dinner was over and done with; for a tete-a-tete meal with Fraeulein Mueller was not a feast to be prolonged on account of its felicity.  Perhaps they had so contrived as to arrive exactly at this hour.

Lady Maulevrier received them both with extreme cordiality.  But the young men saw a change for the worse in the invalid since the spring.  The face was thinner, the eyes too bright, the flush upon the hollow cheek had a hectic tinge, the voice was feebler.  Hammond was reminded of a falcon or an eagle pining and wasting in a cage.

‘I am very glad to see you, Mr. Hammond,’ said Lady Maulevrier, giving him her hand, and addressing him with unwonted cordiality.  ’It was a happy thought that brought you and Maulevrier here.  When an old woman is as near the grave as I am her relatives ought to look after her.  I shall be glad to have a little private conversation with you to-morrow, Mr. Hammond, if you can spare me a few minutes.’

‘As many hours, if your ladyship pleases,’ said Hammond.  ’My time is entirely at your service.’