“What did he say, papa?”

“Why,” perplexed at her unusual manner, which exhibited no surprise and little curiosity, “all he had to say was, that he wished to abandon his profession, and take you on a wild goose chase to the Antipodes.  That in itself would have been quite sufficient, but there are other reasons, I have not a good opinion of Du Meresq, and I had almost rather see you in your grave than married to him.”  Cecil made no sign, and the Colonel continued,—­“It may seem hard now, but you will live to thank me.  I wish you, Cecil, since he will not be satisfied with less, to write a few lines and tell him all must be at an end between you.”

She rose mechanically, brought her writing-desk, and took out pen and paper.

“What shall I say?” she asked, tranquilly.

The Colonel, who was prepared for determined opposition from his strong willed daughter, knew not whether to be most relieved or confounded by this apathetic submission.  “I will leave the composition to you,” said he, gently.

“Thank you,” said Cecil “I should prefer writing it from your dictation.”

“Say, then,” returned her father, not ill pleased to get it expressed strongly “that you find I am so irrevocably opposed to your marriage with him, that you have no alternative but to give up all thoughts of it for the future, and that he must understand this decision to be final.”

Deliberately, and with the same stony indifference, she wrote it word for word, handed it to her father to read then sealed the letter with her own signet-ring, and returned it to him.

“It will be Fane yet,” thought the bewildered Colonel, with a secret glow of hope.  “I was mistaken, her heart is not in this business—­if she has one,” was the irrepressible doubt, for though Bertie’s ardent suit had left him inflexible, his daughter’s insensibility almost disgusted him.

Muttering to himself, “That job’s over,” with a lightened heart he sought his wife, and directed her to go to Cecil, whom he thought far from well.  But an interview with Bertie’s sister just then was too distasteful to the unhappy girl, and she only answered Mrs. Rolleston’s request, that she would open the door, by entreaties to be left in peace and allowed to sleep.

It would have been better had she admitted her not only into her room, but her confidence for the kind lady knew what even Cecil might have acknowledged to be extenuating circumstances, but she now felt completely alienated and distanced by the forbidding reserve of her step daughter, of whom she was not altogether devoid of awe.

The next day an express was on its way to Peterboro’ for a doctor.  Cecil was down with rheumatic fever, and delirious.

CHAPTER XXV.

CHANGES.

I remember the way we parted. 
The day and the way we met;
You hoped we were both broken hearted;
I knew we should both forget.