may have made a mistake. He told me it was coming off
in a day or two."

"As likely as not. He might not think it worth while to send us any
notice."

"The puppy! I beg your pardon, I forgot he was your cousin."

"You need not apologise on that score. There is not much love lost
between us; and as for Elise, I never knew her inclined to be
inhospitable to anybody but him."

"Was she to him?"

"She was heartily glad to see the last of him, and so I suspect were
some other people."

"What people?"

"Mrs. Costello for one. He was more at the Cottage than she seemed to
like."

Maurice hesitated, but could not resist asking a question.

"Was he as much there afterwards as he was before the time I left?"

"More, I think. Look here, Maurice; Elise first put it into my head that
he was running after Lucia, but I saw it plainly enough myself
afterwards, and I know you saw it too. I think we are old enough friends
for me to speak to you on such a subject. Well, my belief is, that
before Percy went away, he proposed to Lucia."

"Proposed? Impossible!"

"I don't know about that. He was really in love with her in his
fashion--which is not yours, or mine."

"And she?"

"Must have refused him, for he went away in a kind of amazed ruefulness,
which even you would have pitied."

Maurice looked the reverse of pitiful for a moment.

"But that is all supposition," he said.

"Granted. But a supposition founded on pretty close observation. Only
mind, I do not say Lucia might not be a little sorry herself. You were
away, and a girl does not lose a handsome fellow like Percy, who has
been following her about everywhere as if he were her pet dog, without
feeling the loss more or less. At least that is my idea."

"He has soon consoled himself."

"My dear fellow, everybody can't step into possession of L10,000 a year
all at once. Most people have to do something for a living, and the only
thing Percy could do was to marry."

They said good-night soon after this, and went upstairs, Maurice
blessing the Fates which seemed determined to give him all possible hope
and encouragement. Only he could not quite understand this idea of Mr.
Bellairs'. He could imagine anybody, even Percy, being so far carried
away by Lucia's beauty as to forget prudence for the moment; but he
could not help but feel that it was improbable that Percy would have
gone so far as to propose to Lucia unless he were sure she would say
yes. Why, then, h