pled on his knee. If she had eyes to
see it there was calamity in his attitude and his looks. But she had no
eyes. She was too much absorbed in the thing she had to do.

"What, Nell!" he said, getting up as she entered. "We must have come
home almost together. Where have you been, child?"

To his own ear his voice rang false, but she did not notice it. She did
not meet his kiss. She did not see that he was looking at her with a
fearful apprehension.

"What is the matter, Nell?" he stammered, noticing the alteration in her
looks.

She came and stood beside him, seeming to tower above him.

"Father," she said, "I am not going to marry Robin. I want him to know
at once."

"Not marry Robin!" This was something the General was unprepared for.
"Not marry Robin! God bless my soul, Nell! It's very late for you to say
such a thing--within three weeks of your wedding! And all the
arrangements made! What will people say? What will the Dowager say? You
can't play fast and loose with a man like that, Nell. Why, it will be
the talk of the town."

He tried to work himself up to the old fretting and fuming, but there
was no heartiness in it. Under the projecting eyebrows his old
frostily-blue eyes had a scared look. But if he had been in such a
passion as he had shown on a certain historic occasion when the regiment
had nearly scattered before the approach of screaming Dervishes--a
passion which had rallied the men and won Sir Denis his V.C.--it would
have been all the same to Nelly.

"All that is perfectly immaterial," she said. "I am sorry for Robin and
for Aunt Matilda. But all that will pass. I was mad to consent to the
marriage. I am only glad that I came to my senses in time."

Was this Nelly?--this young, sure, inflexible creature! He stared at her
in utter amazement.

"Supposing I were to say that you must go on now since you have gone so
far, Nell?" he said, and felt at the same time the futility of the
saying. "I never thought my girl would play so shabby a trick on
Gerald's son. You know that people will laugh at Robin?"

"They won't. Robin is not the sort of person to be laughed at--at least,
not for long. Besides, if it is any consolation to you, father, I may
tell you that it will not hurt Robin much: Robin is not and never has
been in love with me."

"What!" The General now was genuinely indignant. He had forgotten for
the moment his other perturbation, whatever it might be. "What do you
mean, Nell? Your