me upon the subject and swore that if I didn’t put an end to the game, he would put you on your guard against me, tell you in fact the precise species of rotter that I chanced to be.  I was naturally annoyed by his interference.  Anyone would have been.  I gave him the kicking he deserved.  That was low of me, wasn’t it?” as she made a quick movement of shrinking.  “You won’t forgive me for that, or for what came after.  The very next day—­to spite the little beast—­I proposed to you.”

Dinah’s eyes were fiercely bright.  “I wish I’d known!” she said.

“I wish to heaven you had, my dear,” Eustace spoke with a grim hint of humour.  “It would have saved us both a good deal of unnecessary trouble and humiliation.  However, Scott was too big a fool to tell you.  There is a martyrlike sort of cussedness about him that is several degrees worse than any pride.  So he let things be, still cheating himself into the belief that the arrangement was for your happiness, till, as you are aware, it turned out so manifestly otherwise that he found himself obliged once more to come to the rescue of his lady love.  But his exasperating humility was such that he never suspected the real reason for your change of mind, and when I accused him of cutting me out, he was as scandalized as only a righteous man knows how to be.  You can’t do much with a fellow like that, you know,—­a fool who won’t believe the evidence of his own senses.  Besides, it was not for me to enlighten him, particularly as you didn’t want him to know the real state of things just then.  So I left him alone.  The next day—­only the next day, mind you—­the silent knight opened his heart; to whom, do you think?  You’ll be horribly furious when I tell you.”

He looked into the hot eyes with an expression half-tender in his own.

“Tell me!” breathed Dinah.

“Really?  Well, prepare for a nasty shock!  To Rose de Vigne!”

“To Rose!” Indignation gave place to bewilderment in Dinah’s eyes.

“Even so; to Rose.  She guessed the truth, and he frankly admitted she was right, but gave her to understand that as he hadn’t a chance in the world, you were never to know.  I am telling you the truth, Dinah.  You needn’t look so incredulous.  She naturally considered that he was not treating you very fairly and said so.  But—­” he raised his shoulders slightly—­“you know Scott.  Mules can’t compete with him when he has made up his mind to a thing.  He gracefully put an end to the discussion and doubtless he has buried the whole subject in a neat little corner of his heart where no one can ever tumble over it, and resigned himself to a lonely old age.  Now, Dinah, I am going to give you the soundest piece of advice I have ever given anyone.  If you are wise, you will dig it up before the moss grows, bring it into the air and call it back to life.  It is the greatest desire of Isabel’s heart to see you two happy together.  She told me so only to-day.  And I am beginning to think that I wish it too.”