I can only
hope--with all my heart--that you'll fall in love with some girl who
cares for you. You don't know how much I want you to be happy.'

Boulger drew back coldly. He would not allow himself to be touched,
though the sweetness of her voice tore his heart-strings.

'Just now it's not my happiness that's concerned,' he said. 'When Alec
MacKenzie came back I thought I saw why nothing that I could do, had
the power to change the utter indifference with which you looked at me.'

He paused a moment and coughed uneasily.

'I don't know why you think it necessary to say all this,' said Lucy, in
a low voice.

'I tried to resign myself. You've always worshipped strength, and I
understood that you must think Alec MacKenzie very wonderful. I had
little enough to offer you when I compared myself with him. I hoped
against hope that you weren't in love with him.'

'Well?'

'Except for that letter in this morning's paper I should never have
dared to say anything to you again. But that changes everything.'

He paused once more. Though he tried to seem so calm, his heart was
beating furiously. He really loved Lucy with all his soul, and he was
doing what seemed to him a plain duty.

'I ask you again if you'll be my wife.'

'I don't understand what you mean,' she said slowly.

'You can't marry Alec MacKenzie now.'

Lucy flung back her head. She grew very pale.

'You have no right to talk to me like this,' she said. 'You really
presume too much upon my good nature.'

'I think I have some right. I'm the only man who's related to you at
all, and I love you.'

They saw that Lady Kelsey wanted to speak, and Lucy turned round to her.

'I think you should listen to him, Lucy. I'm growing old, and soon
you'll be quite alone in the world.'

The simple kindness of her words calmed the passions of the other two,
and brought down the conversation to a gentler level.

'I'll try my best to make you a good husband, Lucy,' said Bobbie, very
earnestly. 'I don't ask you to care for me; I only want to serve you.'

'I can only repeat that I'm very grateful to you. But I can't marry you,
and I shall never marry you.'

Boulger's face grew darker, and he was silent.

'Are you going to continue to know Alec MacKenzie?' he asked at length.

'You have no right to ask me such a question.'

'If you'll take the advice of any unprejudiced person about that letter,
you'll find that he'll say the same as I. There can be no shadow of a