’I see your affection given to a most worthy object, and I know what your notions of submission will end in.’

‘Once for all, Jem,’ said Fitzjocelyn, ’do you know how you are using my father?  No; Isabel Conway may be the happiness or the disappointment of my life—­I cannot tell.  I am sure my father is mistaken, and I believe he may be convinced; but I am bound not to fly in the face of his direct commands, and, till we can come to an understanding, I must do the best I can, and trust to—­’

The last word was lost, as he turned to nurse his ankle, and presently to entreat James to join the sportsmen; but Jem was in a mood to do nothing pleasing to himself nor to any one else.  A sacrifice is usually irritating to the spectators, who remonstrate rather than listen to self-reproach; and Louis had been guilty of three great offences—­being in the right, making himself ridiculous, and submitting tamely—­besides the high-treason to Isabel’s beauty.  It was well that the Earl was safe out of the way of the son of the Pendragons!

Fitzjocelyn was in pain and discomfort enough to make James unwilling to leave him; though his good-will did not prevent him from keeping up such a stream of earplugs and sinister auguries, that it was almost the climax of good-temper that enabled Louis to lie still, trying to read a great quarto Park’s Travels, and abstaining from any reply that could aggravate matters.  As the one would not go to luncheon, the other would not; and after watching the sound of the ladies’ setting out for their drive, Louis said that he would go and lie on the turf; but at that moment the door was thrown open, and in ran Virginia.  Explanations were quickly exchanged—­how she had come to find Vertot’s Malta for Isabel, and how he had been sent in by hurting his foot.

‘Were you going to stay in all day?’ said Virginia.  ’Oh, come with us!  We have the pony-carriage; and we are going to a dear old ruin, walking and driving by turns.  Do, pray, come; there’s plenty of room.’

There could be no objection to the school-room party, and it was no small relief to escape from James and hope he was amused; so Fitzjocelyn allowed himself to be dragged off in triumph, and James was acceding to his entreaty that he would go in search of the shooting-party, when, as they reached the hall-door, they beheld Miss Conway waiting on the steps.

There was no receding for her any more than for Louis, so she could only make a private resolution against the pony-carriage, and dedicate herself to the unexceptionable company of little sister, governess and tutor; for James had resigned the shooting, and attached himself to the expedition.  It was an excellent opportunity of smoothing his cousin’s way, and showing that all was not caprice that might so appear:  so he began to tell of his most advantageous traits of character, and to explain away his whimsical conduct, with great ardour and ingenuity.  He thought