“And your mother?” asks she, going back to the first question.  “Do you think she will like you to marry me?  Oh, do persuade her!”

“Make no mistake about my mother, Tita; she will receive you with open arms.”  He feels as if he were lying when he says this, yet is it not the truth?  “She will be glad to receive you as a daughter.”

“Will she?  She doesn’t look like it,” says Tita, “not sometimes when I—­look back at her!"

She rises, and makes a step towards the door of the conservatory that will lead her to the balcony, and so back to the dancing-room.

“Tita?  Bear with my mother,” says he gently, and in a low voice.

The girl turns to him, her whole young, generous heart in her voice.  “Oh, I shall!  I shall indeed!”

They traverse the long balcony in silence.  The moon is flooding it with brilliant light.  Here and there are groups in twos or threes—­the twos are most popular.  Just as they come to the entrance to the dancing-room, an alcove now deserted, Tita stops short and looks at him.

“You have promised to be kind to me!” says she, her voice trembling.  For the first time the solemnity of this marriage arrangement of hers seems to have dawned upon her.

“I have,” says Rylton earnestly.

“I am often very troublesome,” says the poor child.  “Uncle George says so.  But you——­” She hesitates, looking at him always.  Her gaze is intense.  He feels as if she is watching him, taking his mental temperature, as it were.

“Be kind to me in turn, Tita,” says he.  “Don’t mistrust me.  Try to know that I like you.”

“I wish,” says she, a little forlornly, “that you could be fond of me.  I’m—­you don’t know it—­nobody knows it—­but I’m often very lonely.  I’ve been lonely all the time since pappy died.”

“You shall never be lonely again,” says Rylton.  “I’m your friend from this hour—­your friend for ever.”  He is touched to his very heart by her words and her small face.  He stoops over her, and in spite of all that has been said against kissing, presses his lips to her soft cheek!

“Ah!  You are kind.  I do like you,” says she, gazing at him with earnest eyes.  “Yes, I know I shall be happy with you.”  She is evidently comparing him most favourably with Uncle George.  “And you will be fond of me, won’t you?  You will be good to me?”

“I will, so help me God!” says Rylton very solemnly.

To her it seems an oath of allegiance—­kindly, tender, reassuring.  To him it is a solemn abjuration of all his devotion to—­the other.

CHAPTER X.

HOW MAURICE GIVES WAY TO TEMPER, AND HOW LADY RYLTON PLANTS A SHAFT OR TWO.  AND HOW MARGARET SAYS A WORD IN SEASON, AND HOW IN RETURN COLONEL NEILSON SAYS A WORD TO HER.