‘I have not the remotest idea of your meaning.’

’So much the better.  No, so much the worse.  You are not capable of feeling what I do for her, or you would have hated me long ago.  Do not stay here!  I do not know that I can quite bear the sight of you -But don’t let me lose you, Louis.’

James wrung the hand of his cousin; and no sooner was he alone, than he began to pace the room distractedly.

‘Poor Jem!’ soliloquized Fitzjocelyn.  ’At least, I am glad the trouble is love, not the Ordination.  But as to his meaning!  He gives me to understand that we are rivals—­It is the most absurd thing I ever knew—­I declare I don’t know whether he means Mary or Isabel.  I suppose be would consider Mary’s fortune a barrier—­No, she is too serene for his storms—­worthy, most worthy—­but she would hate to be worshipped in that wild way.  Besides, I am done for in that quarter.  No clashing there—!  Nay, the other it can never be—­ after all his efforts to lash me up at Christmas.  Yet, he was much with her, he made Clara sacrifice the clasp to her.  Hm!  She is an embodied romance, deserving to be raved about; while for poor dear Mary, it would be simply ridiculous.  I wish I could guess—­it is too absurd to doubt, and worse to ask; and, what’s more, he would not stand it.  If I did but know!  I’m not so far gone yet, but that I could leave the field to him, if that would do him any good.  Heigh ho! it would be en regle to begin to hate him, and be as jealous as Bluebeard; but there!  I don’t know which it is to be about, and one can’t be jealous for two ladies at once, luckily, for it would be immensely troublesome, unless a good, hearty quarrel would be wholesome to revive his spirits.  It is a bad time for it, though!  Well, I hope he does not mean Mary—­I could not bear for her to be tormented by him.  That other creature might reign over him like the full moon dispersing clouds.  Well! this is the queerest predicament I ever heard of!’ And on he wandered, almost as much diverted by the humour of the doubt, as annoyed by the dilemma.

He had no opportunity for farther investigation:  James removed himself so entirely from his society, that he was obliged to conclude that the prevailing mood was that of not being quite able to bear the sight of him.  His consolation was the hope of an opening for some generous proceeding, though how this should be accomplished was not visible, since it was quite as hard to be generous with other people’s hearts as to confer a benefit on a Pendragon.  At any rate, he was so confident of Jem’s superiority, as to have no fear of carrying off the affection of any one whom his cousin wished to win.

James was ordained, and shortly after went to some pupils for the Easter vacation, which was spent by Louis at Christchurch, in studying hard.  The preparation for going up for his degree ended by absorbing him entirely, as did every other pursuit to which he once fairly devoted himself, and for the first time he gave his abilities full scope in the field that ought long ago to have occupied them.  When, finally, a third class was awarded to him, he was conscious that it might have been a first, but for his past waste of time.