“To this town on the Mediterranean?”

“Yes, I shall write to-night to B——­; and I will start by the seven o’clock train to-morrow morning for London.  No one need get up; I will tell Jane to let me have some breakfast.”

“We shall hear from you?”

“Yes, I will write when I am across the water.  Good-bye.”

He stooped down and kissed her as he spoke.  She laid her hand on his arm, and detained him for a moment.

“Horace,” she said, “you must not vex yourself to much about this; you and Maria have only discovered in time what numbers of people discover when it is too late—­that you are not suited to each other.  Believe me, it is far better to find it out before marriage than after.”

“I daresay you are right,” he said.  “Don’t be afraid, Georgie, I shall not vex myself too much, but at present the whole thing appears hateful to me, as far as I am concerned.”

The next morning he was gone before any one of the family was stirring.

CHAPTER V.

Er, der Herrlischste von Allen.

“Ashurst, July, 186—­,

“Dear Uncle Horace,—­Mamma has a bad headache, and says I am to write and ask you whether you have quite forgotten us, and if you are never coming to see us again.  She says, cannot you come next week, because Lady Lorrimer’s great ball is on the 31st.  She and cousin Madelon are going, and she would be very glad if you could escort them, as papa says he will not go.  Cousin Madelon is here still, and Aunt Barbara is coming on Monday to stay with us for a little while before she goes back with her to Cornwall.  Cousin Madelon has been reading French with me, and giving me music-lessons.  We had a pic-nic in the woods last week, and my holidays begin to-morrow.  I wish you would come back, Uncle Horace, and then we could have some fun before Cousin Madelon goes away.  I wish she would never go, but stay here always, as Maria used.  I have been reading some of your book; mamma said I might, and I like it very much.  Mamma sends her love, and I am

“Your affectionate niece,

“Madge Vavasour.”

“Mamma says that she received yesterday the note that I enclose, and that she sends it to you to read.”

The note was from Maria Leslie, and was dated from a country-town whither she had gone to stay with some friends, shortly after Graham’s departure from Ashurst.

“Dearest Georgie,

“I feel that you are the first person to whom I should write the news that I am engaged to be married to Mr. Norris.  He has just had the offer of a living in the north, and lost no time in coming to tell me of his prospects, and to invite me to share them.  To you, who know him so well, I need say nothing of my own great happiness.  I only fear that, after all that has passed, you may think I have been a little precipitate; but I could not but feel that something was due to Mr. Morris, and that it would be wrong to keep him in suspense.  Send me you good wishes and congratulations, dear Georgie, for I cannot feel that my happiness is complete without them.