rying to suit them to one or other of the numerous models of Love that a
young man carries about with him. Her eyes met his, and even as he was
deciding against her on almost every point, the force of their frankness
held his judgement in suspense.

"The world is rather harsh upon women in these cases," she said, turning
her head a lithe, with a conscious droop of the eyelids. "I will act as
if we had an equal burden between us. On my side, what you have to tell
me does not alter me. I have known it.... You see that I am just the same
to you. For your part, you are free, if you please. That is fair dealing,
is it not?"

The gentleman's mechanical assent provoked the lady's smile.

But Wilfrid was torn between a profound admiration of her and the galling
reflection that until she had named the engagement, none had virtually
existed which diplomacy, aided by time and accident, might not have
stopped.

"You must be aware that I am portionless," she continued. "I have--let me
name the sum--a thousand pounds. It is some credit to me that I have had
it five years and not spent it. Some men would think that a quality worth
double the amount. Well, you will make up your mind to my bringing you no
money;--I have a few jewels. En revanche, my habits are not expensive. I
like a horse, but I can do without one. I like a large house, and can
live in a small one. I like a French cook, and can dine comfortably off a
single dish. Society is very much to my taste; I shall indulge it when I
am whipped at home."

Wilfrid took her hand and pressed his lips to the fingers, keeping his
face ponderingly down. He was again so divided that the effort to find
himself absorbed all his thinking faculties.

At last he muttered: "A lieutenant's pay!"--expecting her to reply, "We
can wait," as girls do that find it pleasant to be adored by curates,
Then might follow a meditative pause--a short gaze at her, from which she
could have the option of reflecting that to wait is not the privilege of
those who have lived to acquire patience. The track he marked out was
clever in a poor way; perhaps it was not positively unkind to instigate
her to look at her age: but though he read character shrewdly, and knew
hers pretty accurately, he was himself too much of a straw at the moment
to be capable of leading-moves.

"We can make up our minds, without great difficulty, to regard the
lieutenant's pay as nothing at all," was Lady Charlotte's answer. "You