to like her. I
believe she knew all through that I should get my way at last."

"That ought to have made you friends."

"But yet she tried everything she could. And when I told her about
that meeting up at Lord Grex's, she was so shocked! Do you remember
that?"

"Do I remember it!"

"Were not you shocked?" This question was not to be answered by any
word. "I was," she continued. "It was an awful thing to do; but I was
determined to show them all that I was in earnest. Do you remember
how Miss Cassewary looked?"

"Miss Cassewary knew all about it."

"I daresay she did. And so I suppose did Mabel Grex. I had thought
that perhaps I might make Mabel a confidante, but--" Then she looked
up into his face.

"But what?"

"You like Mabel, do you not? I do."

"I like her very, very much."

"Perhaps you have liked her too well for that, eh, Frank?"

"Too well for what?"

"That she should have heard all that I had to say about you with
sympathy. If so, I am so sorry."

"You need not fear that I have ever for a moment been untrue either
to her or you."

"I am sure you have not to me. Poor Mabel! Then they took me to
Custins. That was worst of all. I cannot quite tell you what happened
there." Of course he asked her,--but, as she had said, she could not
quite tell him about Lord Popplecourt.

The next morning the Duke asked his guest in a playful tone what was
his Christian name. It could hardly be that he should not have known,
but yet he asked the question. "Francis Oliphant," said Tregear.
"Those are two Christian names I suppose, but what do they call you
at home?"

"Frank," whispered Mary, who was with them.

"Then I will call you Frank, if you will allow me. The use of
Christian names is, I think, pleasant and hardly common enough among
us. I almost forget my own boy's name because the practice has grown
up of calling him by a title."

"I am going to call him Abraham," said Isabel.

"Abraham is a good name, only I do not think he got it from his
godfathers and godmothers."

"Who can call a man Plantagenet? I should as soon think of calling my
father-in-law Coeur de Lion."

"So he is," said Mary. Whereupon the Duke kissed the two girls and
went his way,--showing that by this time he had adopted the one and
the proposed husband of the other into his heart.

The day before the Duke started for London to be present at the grand
marriage he sent for Frank. "I suppose," said he, "that you would
wish t