‘Do your grandmother and aunt know?’

’Oh, no!  I would far rather not tell them.  Need I?  Oh! madame, surely you can speak to him, and no one need ever hear of it?’ implored Genevieve.  ’You have promised me that no one shall be told!’

’No one shall, my dear.  I hope soon to tell you that he is heartily ashamed of having teased you.  No one need be ashamed of thinking you very dear and good—­you can’t help being loveable, but Master Gibbie has no right to tell you so, and we’ll put an end to it.  He will soon be in India out of your way.  Good-bye!’

Albinia kissed the confused and blushing maiden, and walked away, provoked, yet diverted.

She found Gilbert alone, and was not slow in coming to the point, endeavouring to model her treatment on that of her brother, the General, towards his aide-de-camp in the like predicaments.

’Gilbert, I want to speak to you.  I am afraid you have been making yourself troublesome to Miss Durant.  You are old enough to know better than to write such a note as this.’

He was all one blush, made an inarticulate exclamation, and burst out, ‘That abominable treacherous old wooden doll of a mademoiselle.’

’No, Miss Belmarche knows nothing of it.  No one ever shall if you will promise to drive this nonsense out of your head.’

‘Nonsense!  Mrs. Kendal!’ with a gesture of misery.

‘Gilbert, you are making yourself absurd.’

He turned about, and would have marched out of the room, but she pursued him.  ’You must listen to me.  It is not fit that you should carry on this silly importunity.  It is exceedingly distressing to her, and might lead to very unpleasant and hurtful remarks.’  Seeing him look sullen, she took breath, and considered.  ’She came to me in great trouble, and begged me to restore your letter, and tell you never to repeat the liberty.’

He struck his hand on his brow, crying vehemently, ’Cruel girl!  She little knows me—­you little know me, if you think I am to be silenced thus.  I tell you I will never cease!  I am not bound by your pride, which has sneered down and crushed the loveliest—­’

‘Not mine,’ said Albinia, disconcerted at his unexpected violence.

‘Yes!’ he exclaimed.  ’I know you could patronize! but a step beyond, and it is all the same with you as with the rest—­you despise the jewel without the setting.’

‘No,’ said Albinia, ’so far from depreciating her, I want to convince you that it is an insult to pursue her in this ridiculous underhand way.’

‘You do me no justice,’ said Gilbert loftily; ’you little understand what you are pleased to make game of,’ and with one of his sudden alternations, he dropped into a chair, calling himself the most miserable fellow in the world, unpitied where he would gladly offer his life, and his tenderest feelings derided, and he was so nearly ready to cry, that Albinia pitied him, and said, ’I’ll laugh no more if I can help it, Gibbie, but indeed you are too young for all this misery to be real.  I don’t mean that you are pretending, but only that this is your own fancy.’