me on the face, Percy. I've taken to brandy and
to swearing. Damn the girl who made me forget good lessons! Bless her
heart, I mean. She saw you, did she? Did she colour when she heard your
name?"

"Very much," said Major Waring.

"Was dressed in--?"

"Black, with a crimson ribbon round the collar."

Robert waved the image from his eyes.

"I'm not going to dream of her. Peace, and babies, and farming, and pride
in myself with a woman by my side--there! You've seen her--all that's
gone. I might as well ask the East wind to blow West. Her face is set the
other way. Of course, the nature and value of a man is shown by how he
takes this sort of pain; and hark at me! I'm yelling. I thought
I was cured. I looked up into the eyes of a lady ten times
sweeter--when?--somewhen! I've lost dates. But here's the girl at me
again. She cuddles into me--slips her hand into my breast and tugs at
strings there. I can't help talking to you about her, now we've got over
the first step. I'll soon give it up.

"She wore a red ribbon? If it had been Spring, you'd have seen roses. Oh!
what a stanch heart that girl has. Where she sets it, mind! Her life
where that creature sets her heart! But, for me, not a penny of comfort!
Now for a whole week of her, day and night, in that black dress with the
coloured ribbon. On she goes: walking to church; sitting at table;
looking out of the window!

"Will you believe I thought those thick eyebrows of hers ugly once--a
tremendous long time ago. Yes; but what eyes she has under them! And if
she looks tender, one corner of her mouth goes quivering; and the eyes
are steady, so that it looks like some wonderful bit of mercy.

"I think of that true-hearted creature praying and longing for her
sister, and fearing there's shame--that's why she hates me. I wouldn't
say I was certain her sister had not fallen into a pit. I couldn't. I was
an idiot. I thought I wouldn't be a hypocrite. I might have said I
believed as she did. There she stood ready to be taken--ready to have
given herself to me, if I had only spoken a word! It was a moment of
heaven, and God the Father could not give it to me twice The chance has
gone.

"Oh! what a miserable mad dog I am to gabble on in this way.--Come in!
come in, mother."

Mrs. Boulby entered, with soft footsteps, bearing a letter.

"From the Park," she said, and commenced chiding Robert gently, to
establish her right to do it with solemnity.

"He will talk, sir.