ust see Mary Gray no more. Yet as he pushed
the thought of her away from him it came to him that another man might
find the ugly gas-lit room, the wet winter streets with their bawling
crowds and flaring lights, something of the same magical world that he
had found them. Supposing that man were Ilbert? Well, supposing it were
so, what business had he to resent it? But however he might ask himself
rhetorical questions, the jealousy of the natural man swept over him in
passion and fury. He said to himself that now he knew why he had always
hated Ilbert. It was a prevision of this hour.

And at the moment the General was offering up his heartfelt thanks that
Nelly's happiness was secure in the keeping of one so steady and
reliable, if rather dull and slow, as Robin Drummond.

CHAPTER XXI

TWO WOMEN

The travellers came home the first week of June. During the weeks that
had come and gone since Easter they had wandered about as the fancy took
them. Rome, Florence, Genoa, Venice. They followed a path of wonders;
but, somewhat to her father's dismay, Nelly did not prove the passionate
pilgrim he had expected. She looked on listlessly at the wonder-world.
Now that her first exaltation had died away it did not seem so simple a
matter to make others happy. There was no royal road, she discovered, to
the happiness of others any more than to her own.

Her father said to himself that Nell would be all right as soon as the
wedding was over. He had not come to the point of thinking yet that
marriage with Robin Drummond was not the way the Finger of God had
pointed out to him. It was impossible not to notice Nelly's listless
step and heavy eyes. The Dowager put down these things to ordinary
delicacy, something the girl would outgrow.

"She wants a husband's care," she said. "To be sure, my dear Denis, you
have done your best for her. But what, after all, could you know about
girls?"

"As much as Robin Drummond, ma'am," the General said, with a growl; and
was not placated by the Dowager's tolerant smile.

He was at once glad and sorry when the weeks were over. He dreaded, for
one thing, going back to London where Nelly might hear news of Godfrey
Langrishe. To be sure, he had acted entirely for her happiness, yet he
had an idea that Nell might be angry with him for keeping things from
her if she found out that Langrishe's regiment was engaged in the deadly
frontier war. He had been so used to being perfectly frank with h