better. The old lady sighed sympathetically. "Yes, indeed. Poor
Leo! You always liked Leo, Val?"

"Rather. I can't imagine her in a beastly widow's cap, he-he-he! It's a
beastly shame, but I can't help laughing."

"It does seem incongruous. I don't wonder that you can hardly picture
that bright little sunbeam of a face with those golden curls hanging
round it----"

"She's not as good-looking as Maud, you know."

"Indeed I think she is a great deal better looking," said Mrs. Purcell,
shortly.

But she knew better than to argue the point, and resorted to one more
likely to yield a favourable result.

"You were talking about Leonore's joining the hunt; and I fancy if you
are content to wait a little and approach the matter delicately, she is
quite likely to be persuaded. Every one knows that it is only stinginess
on General Boldero's part which stands in the way of his daughters'
hunting. _That_ need not affect Leonore, who will now be quite
independent, and can keep as many horses as she chooses."

"You don't say so? Yoicks! I'll be at her like a shot."

"And you can offer to pilot her, you know. She will be nervous at
first."

"Oh, I'll pilot her. But she can ride all right, for we used to have
great larks when they were out on their ponies, and Leo was always the
best of the bunch. It will be fun if I can get her to follow hounds, and
the hunt will be awfully obliged to me."

"Don't let any one else--it is your idea, and you ought to have the
benefit of it."

"Trust me for that, ma'am," looking very wise. "I've never brought them
a subscriber yet, and it would be jolly mean of any one to try to cut me
out."

"If it is suggested, you must pooh-pooh the notion."

"How can I though, when I'm thinking of it all the time myself?"

"Leonore might be prevailed upon by _you_, by an old friend for whom she
has a kindly feeling, and on whose judgment she could rely," replied
Mrs. Purcell, softly; "while at the same time she would not think nor
dream of such a thing if left to herself. And certainly she would resent
being approached on the subject by strangers. Therefore it would be
quite correct, absolutely correct, to say that no such approach would
have a chance of success. You see that, my dear boy?"

He was further instructed that, in order to prepare the ground for his
future mission, he was to take an early opportunity of calling at the
Abbey, and of being especially respectful and sympathetic in his mann