owed Mr Hall
and the curate's bride out of one room into the other. "This young
lady," said he, "is supposed to be in the ascendant just at the
present moment. She can't be married above two or three times at the
most. I say this to excuse myself to Miss Lawrie, who ought perhaps
to have the post of honour." To this some joking reply was made,
and they all sat down to their dinner. Miss Lawrie was at Mr Hall's
left hand, and at her left hand John Gordon was seated. Mary could
perceive that everything was arranged so as to throw herself and John
Gordon together,--as though they had some special interest in each
other. Of all this Mr Whittlestaff saw nothing. But John Gordon did
perceive something, and told himself that that ass Blake had been at
work. But his perceptions in the matter were not half as sharp as
those of Mary Lawrie.

"I used to be very fond of your father, Gordon," said Mr Hall, when
the dinner was half over. "It's all done and gone now. Dear, dear,
dear!"

"He was an unfortunate man, and perhaps expected too much from his
friends."

"I am very glad to see his son here, at any rate. I wish you were not
going to settle down so far away from us."

"Kimberley is a long way off."

"Yes, indeed; and when a fellow gets out there he is apt to stay, I
suppose."

"I shall do so, probably. I have nobody near enough to me here at
home to make it likely that I shall come back."

"You have uncles and aunts?" said Mr Hall.

"One uncle and two aunts. I shall suit their views and my cousins'
better by sending home some diamonds than by coming myself."

"How long will that take?" asked Mr Hall. The conversation was kept
up solely between Mr Hall and John Gordon. Mr Whittlestaff took no
share in it unless when he was asked a question, and the four girls
kept up a whisper with Miss Forrester and Montagu Blake.

"I have a share in rather a good thing," said Gordon; "and if I could
get out of it so as to realise my property, I think that six months
might suffice."

"Oh, dear! Then we may have you back again before the year's out?"
Mr Whittlestaff looked up at this, as though apprised that the
danger was not yet over. But he reflected that before twelve months
were gone he would certainly have made Mary Lawrie his wife.

"Kimberley is not a very alluring place," said John Gordon. "I don't
know any spot on God's earth that I should be less likely to choose
as my abiding resting-place."

"Except for the diamon