dging of the brows, and Mr. Austin considerately mentioned the
name of the person he had in his mind.

She readily agreed with him regarding Mr. Tuckham's excellent
qualities--if that was indeed the name; and she hastened to recollect
how little she had forgotten Mr. Tuckham's generosity to Beauchamp, and
confessed to herself it might as well have been forgotten utterly
for the thanks he had received. While revolving these ideas she was
listening to Mr. Austin; gradually she was beginning to understand that
she was parting company with her original conjectures, but going at
so swift a pace in so supple and sure a grasp, that, like the speeding
train slipped on new lines of rails by the pointsman, her hurrying
sensibility was not shocked, or the shock was imperceptible, when she
heard him proposing Mr. Tuckham to her for a husband, by her father's
authority, and with his own warm seconding. He had not dropped her
hand: he was very eloquent, a masterly advocate: he pleaded her father's
cause; it was not put to her as Mr. Tuckham's: her father had set his
heart on this union he was awaiting her decision.

'Is it so urgent?' she asked.

'It is urgent. It saves him from an annoyance. He requires a son-in-law
whom he can confidently rely on to manage the estates, which you are
woman of the world enough to know should be in strong hands. He gives
you to a man of settled principles. It is urgent, because he may wish to
be armed with your answer at any instant.'

Her father entered the library. He embraced her, and 'Well?' he said.

'I must think, papa, I must think.'

She pressed her hand across her eyes. Disillusioned by Seymour Austin,
she was utterly defenceless before Beauchamp: and possibly Beauchamp
was in the house. She fancied he was, by the impatient brevity of her
father's voice.

Seymour Austin and Colonel Halkett left the room, and Blackburn Tuckham
walked in, not the most entirely self-possessed of suitors, puffing
softly under his breath, and blinking eyes as rapidly as a skylark claps
wings on the ascent.

Half an hour later Beauchamp appeared. He asked to see the colonel,
delivered himself of his pretensions and wishes to the colonel, and
was referred to Cecilia; but Colonel Halkett declined to send for her.
Beauchamp declined to postpone his proposal until the following day. He
went outside the house and walked up and down the grass-plot.

Cecilia came to him at last.

'I hear, Nevil, that you are w