‘Take my hand once,’ she faltered.

Her hand and her whole shape he took, and she with closed eyes let him strain her to his breast.

Their swoon was broken by the opening of the door, where Old Tom Cogglesby and Lady Jocelyn appeared.

‘Gad! he seems to have got his recompense—­eh, my lady?’ cried Old Tom.  However satisfactorily they might have explained the case, it certainly did seem so.

Lady Jocelyn looked not absolutely displeased.  Old Tom was chuckling at her elbow.  The two principal actors remained dumb.

’I suppose, if we leave young people to settle a thing, this is how they do it,’ her ladyship remarked.

‘Gad, and they do it well!’ cried Old Tom.

Rose, with a deep blush on her cheeks, stepped from Evan to her mother.  Not in effrontery, but earnestly, and as the only way of escaping from the position, she said:  ’I have succeeded, Mama.  He will take what I offer.’

‘And what’s that, now?’ Old Tom inquired.

Rose turned to Evan.  He bent and kissed her hand.

‘Call it “recompense” for the nonce,’ said Lady Jocelyn.  ’Do you still hold to your original proposition, Tom?’

’Every penny, my lady.  I like the young fellow, and she’s a jolly little lass—­if she means it:—­she’s a woman.’

‘True,’ said Lady Jocelyn.  ’Considering that fact, you will oblige me by keeping the matter quiet.’

’Does she want to try whether the tailor’s a gentleman still, my lady-eh?’

‘No.  I fancy she will have to see whether a certain nobleman may be one.’

The Countess now joined them.  Sir Franks had informed her of her brother’s last fine performance.  After a short, uneasy pause, she said, glancing at Evan:—­

’You know his romantic nature.  I can assure you he was sincere; and even if you could not accept, at least—­’

‘But we have accepted, Countess,’ said Rose.

‘The estate!’

’The estate, Countess.  And what is more, to increase the effect of his generosity, he has consented to take a recompense.’

‘Indeed!’ exclaimed the Countess, directing a stony look at her brother.

‘May I presume to ask what recompense?’

Rose shook her head.  ’Such a very poor one, Countess!  He has no idea of relative value.’

The Countess’s great mind was just then running hot on estates, and thousands, or she would not have played goose to them, you may be sure.  She believed that Evan had been wheedled by Rose into the acceptance of a small sum of money, in return for his egregious gift.

With an internal groan, the outward aspect of which she had vast difficulty in masking, she said:  ’You are right—­he has no head.  Easily cajoled!’

Old Tom sat down in a chair, and laughed outright.  Lady Jocelyn, in pity for the poor lady, who always amused her, thought it time to put an end to the scene.