her.

"What is it, dear? Tell me."

She remained perfectly motionless for an instant. Then she held out the
note to him, and simultaneously stood up. As he took it, she went
swiftly past him and out of the door. He heard the swish of her dress
pass up the stairs, and then the closing of a door. But he hardly heeded
it. He was reading the note she had given him. It was a short, perfectly
formal offer of marriage to her from Lord Talgarth.

(II)

"Father, dear," said Jenny, "I want you to let me have my say straight
out, will you?"

He bowed his head.

They were sitting, on the evening of the same day, over the tea-things
in his study. He had not seen her alone for one moment since the
morning. She had refused to open her door to him when he went up after
reading the note: she had pleaded a headache at lunch, and she had been
invisible all the afternoon. Then, as he came in about tea-time, she had
descended upon him, rather pale, but perfectly herself, perfectly
natural, and even rather high-spirited. She had informed him that tea
would be laid in his study, as she wanted a long talk. She had poured
out tea, talking all the time, refusing, it seemed, to meet his eyes.
When she had finished, she had poured out his third cup, and then pushed
her own low chair back so far that he could not see her face.

Then she had opened the engagement.

* * * * *

To say that the poor man had been taken aback would be a very poor way
of describing his condition. The thing simply had never entered his
head. He had dreamed, in wild moments, of Archie; he had certainly
contemplated Dick; but Lord Talgarth himself, gouty and aged
sixty-five!... And yet he had not been indignant. Indignation not only
did not do with Jenny, but it was impossible. To be quite frank, the man
was afraid of his daughter; he was aware that she would do ultimately
as she wished, and not as he wished; and his extreme discomfort at the
thought of this old man marrying his daughter was, since he was human,
partly counter-balanced by the thought of who the old man was. Lastly,
it must be remembered that Jenny was really a very sensible girl, and
that her father was quite conscious of the fact.

Jenny settled herself once more in her chair and began.

* * * * *

"Father, dear, I want to be quite sensible about this. And I've been
very foolish and silly about it all day. I can't imagine why I b