him of their young men and their young ladies in the
States. He had hardly spoken to Miss Boncassen,--till he offered her
sherry or soda-water before she retired for the night. She refused
his courtesy with her usual smile, but showed no more emotion than
though they two had now met for the first time in their lives.

He had quite made up his mind as to what he would do. When the
opportunity should come in his way he would simply remind her that
the three months were passed. But he was shy of talking to her in
the presence of Lady Mabel and his father. He was quite determined
that the thing should be done at once, but he certainly wished that
Lady Mabel had not been there. In what she had said to him at the
dinner-table she had made him understand that she would be a trouble
to him. He remembered her look when he told her she would marry. It
was as though she had declared to him that it was he who ought to be
her husband. It referred back to that proffer of love which he had
once made to her. Of course all this was disagreeable. Of course it
made things difficult for him. But not the less was it a thing quite
assured that he would press his suit to Miss Boncassen. When he was
talking to Mrs. Boncassen he was thinking of nothing else. When he
was offering Isabel the glass of sherry he was telling himself that
he would find his opportunity on the morrow,--though now, at that
moment, it was impossible that he should make a sign. She, as she
went to bed, asked herself whether it were possible that there should
be such treachery;--whether it were possible that he should pass it
all by as though he had never said a word to her!

During the whole of the next day, which was Sunday, he was equally
silent. Immediately after breakfast, on the Monday, shooting
commenced, and he could not find a moment in which to speak. It
seemed to him that she purposely kept out of his way. With Mabel he
did find himself for a few minutes alone, and was then interrupted by
his sister and Isabel. "I hope you have killed a lot of things," said
Miss Boncassen.

"Pretty well, among us all."

"What an odd amusement it seems, going out to commit wholesale
slaughter. However it is the proper thing, no doubt."

"Quite the proper thing," said Lord Silverbridge, and that was all.

On the next morning he dressed himself for shooting,--and then sent
out the party without him. He had heard, he said, of a young horse
for sale in the neighbourhood, and h