He did see it, for he called that day, but he had not the least feeling of mortification:  he was unfeignedly glad to see Alice looking so well, and he had never, he thought, seen her look better.  After they had spoken in the most quiet and friendly way for a little she said, “And how is your cousin, Lord Eildon?”

“Nearly well:  his constitution seems at last fairly to have taken a turn in the right direction.  The doctors say that not only is he likely to live as long as any of us, but that the probability is he will be a robust man yet.”

“Oh, I am glad of it—­I am heartily glad of it!”

“Why are you so very glad?”

“Because you are:  it has made you very happy—­you look so.”

“I am excessively happy because you believe I am happy.  Many people don’t:  many people think I am disappointed.  My own mother thinks so, and yet she is a good woman.  People will believe that you wish the death of your dearest friend if he stands between you and material good.  It is horrible, and I have been courted and worshiped as the rising sun;” and he laughed.  “One can afford to laugh at it now, but it was very sickening at the time.  I can afford anything, Alice:  I believe I can even afford to marry, if you’ll marry a hard-working man instead of a duke.”

“Oh, George,” she said, “I have been so ashamed of that letter I wrote.”

“It was a wicked little letter,” he said, “but I suppose it was the truth at the time:  say it is not true now.”

“It is not true now,” she repeated, “but I have not loved you very dearly all the time; and if you had married I should have been very happy if you had been happy.  But oh,” she said, and her eyes filled with tears, “this is far better.”

“You love me now?”

“Unutterably.”

“I have loved you all the time, all the time.  I should not have been happy if I had heard of your marriage.”

“Then how were you so cold and distant the day we stuck on the moor?”

“Because it was excessively cold weather:  I was not going to warm myself up to be frozen again.  I have never been in delicate health, but I can’t stand heats and chills.”

“I do believe you are not a bit wiser than I am.  I hear the carriage:  that’s Lady Arthur come back.  How surprised she will be!”

“I am not so sure of that,” George said.  “I’ll go and meet her.”

When he appeared Lady Arthur shook hands tranquilly and said, “How do you do?”

“Very well,” he said.  “I have been testing the value of certain documents you sent me, and find they are worth their weight in gold.”

She looked in his face.

“Alice is mine,” he said, “and we are going to Bashan for our wedding-tour.  If you’ll seize the opportunity of our escort, you may hunt up Og’s bed.”

“Thank you,” she said:  “I fear I should be de trop.”

“Not a bit; but even if you were a great nuisance, we are in the humor to put up with anything.”