g the door
behind her.

A moment later she opened it a crack.

"Don't lie awake thinking of him," she said, "you know Conway wants
breakfast early."

Left alone at last, Denys gave a sigh of relief. It was just like
Gertrude to come up and make arrangements not to be overworked! How
Conway would rage if he knew! And this night of all nights in her
life!

And then Denys forgot all about Gertrude, and sitting on the rug in
front of the fire gave herself up to thinking of her happy future.

It was just like her mother to have lighted a fire for her to sit and
dream by. Mother always seemed to think of little bits of comfort to
give people.

And she was engaged to be married!

She got up hurriedly, unlocked her desk and took out a little pearl
ring which had been her mother's. In the firelight she slipped it
on to the third finger of her left hand, and sat down again to
contemplate it and all that a similar ring given her by Charlie could
mean!

And she would have to call Mrs. Henchman Mother, and Audrey would be
her sister!

Her eyes brimmed over with amusement.

What would they all say! Would they be pleased and surprised--her
grandmother and Mrs. Henchman and Audrey? Had they ever guessed at
what Charlie had made up his mind to three years ago?

Mrs. Henchman had seemed to like her then, but then she had been an
ordinary chance visitor coming in for a cup of tea, the granddaughter
of Mrs. Henchman's old friend Mrs. Marston. What would she think of
her now as her only son's future wife?

The fire was sinking down and Denys rose and lit a candle and looked
at herself critically in the glass, and then she laughed into her own
face at the ridiculousness of the position. Who would have believed
that she, Denys Brougham, on the evening of her engagement day, would
have been staring at her own reflection in the glass, trying to find
out what her future mother-in-law would think of her!

And Charlie's words came back to her, a fresh and tender memory to be
treasured for ever.

"I want to say something to you which I have waited three years to
say. I've loved you ever since I've known you."

She slipped her mother's ring from her left hand and put it away.
She unbound her bright brown hair with its curly waves, turned by the
candle light into a halo of red gold, and laid a happy face upon her
pillow.

Not a pretty, piquant face like Gertrude's, quickly smiling or quickly
clouded, but a cheerful, reliable f