perished in the moment of his victory,--but before his victory was
achieved. Ralph had borne his success well while he had thought that
his success was certain; but now--! He knew that all such subjects
should be absent from his mind with such cause for grief as weighed
upon him at this moment,--but he could not drive away the reflection.
That other Ralph Newton had won upon the post. He would endeavour to
bear himself well, but he could not but remember that he had been
beaten. And there was the father who had loved him so well lying
dead!

When he reached the house, George Morris was still with him. Gregory,
to whom he had spoken hardly a word, did not come beyond the
parsonage. Ralph could not conceal from himself, could hardly conceal
from his outward manner, the knowledge that Gregory must be aware
that his cause had triumphed. And yet he hated himself for thinking
of these things, and believed himself to be brutal in that he could
not conceal his thoughts. "I'll send over for a few things, and stay
with you for a day or two," said George Morris. "It would be bad that
you should be left here alone." But Ralph would not permit the visit.
"My father's nephew will be here to-morrow," he said, "and I would
rather that he should find me alone." In thinking of it all, he
remembered that he must withdraw his claims to the hand of Mary
Bonner, now that he was nobody. He could have no pretension now to
offer his hand to any such girl as Mary Bonner!

CHAPTER XXXII.

SIR THOMAS AT HOME.

Sir Thomas Underwood was welcomed home at the villa with a double
amount of sympathy and glory,--that due to him for his victory being
added to that which came to him on the score of his broken arm. A
hero is never so much a hero among women as when he has been wounded
in the battle. The very weakness which throws him into female hands
imparts a moiety of his greatness to the women who for the while
possess him, and creates a partnership in heroism, in which the
feminine half delights to make the most of its own share. During
the week at Percycross and throughout the journey Patience had had
this half all to herself; and there had arisen to her considerable
enjoyment from it as soon as she found that her father would probably
be none the worse for his accident after a few weeks. She saw more of
him now than she had done for years, and was able, after a fashion,
to work her quiet, loving, female will with him, exacting from him