walk in the garden with him; and then when they reached the arbour he
made the same proposal as he had made to Maud but a few minutes before.

Mary was surprised, but pleased; not that she loved the young soldier,
she had not thought of such a thing. But he was handsome, and could be a
pleasant companion; and then she had felt herself so disgraced since
Harry had gone away, that she would gladly exchange the name of Drury
for Stanhope. She did not tell her lover this, she only said something
about thinking he liked Maud best, on which he muttered that Maud was
too proud and cold for him, when she shyly said he must speak to her
father, when, if he gave his consent, she was willing to ratify it.

Master Drury hardly knew what to say when asked for his permission. In
reality he felt the loss of his son more than he chose to own even to
himself, and did not care to part with his eldest daughter just now, but
he resolved to let Mary decide the matter; and so, telling Captain
Stanhope that he should receive his answer in the evening, he sent for
Mary.

The young lady blushed as she entered her father's presence, for she
guessed what he wished to speak to her about.

"Prithee now, tell me truly Mary of this business with Captain Stanhope.
Dost thou wish to leave the old Grange, my child?" he asked.

"I wish to change my name, father," said Mary, with a deep blush.

"And wherefore art thou so anxious about this?"

"Canst thou ask, when it has been so deeply disgraced?" said Mary.

The old man bowed his head. Truly his family pride was bearing bitter
fruit, if he were to lose his children through it in this way. He saw
that his daughter did not love the man that had sought her hand in
marriage, and he did not believe that he loved her; but he was powerless
to withhold his consent if Mary wished it, which she evidently did. "It
will be better so, my father," she said. "The Stanhopes have ever been
true and loyal, I have heard you say, and this marriage may help to wipe
the traitor stain from our escutcheon."

"True, my daughter," said the old man, but it was said very sadly, for
he knew it was not thus he had chosen her mother, or been accepted by
her. But the matter seemed to have been settled by Mary without his
interference, and he yielded rather than gave his consent when Captain
Stanhope came again in the evening.

After leaving her father Mary went to inform Maud of what had taken
place. She had expected some su