bit if I were you, and put Ethel on her guard. I think
I am bound to say as much as that."

"Do you think any harm of him?"

"I _think_ harm of him--unjustly, perhaps. I am not so sure that I know
of any. I only want you to keep your eyes open. Good-bye, old man."

And Caspar Brooke gave his friend's hand such a pressure that Maurice
went away satisfied that Lesley's father, at any rate, and in spite of
protest, was upon his side.

Miss Brooke came into dinner at the last moment, so Mr. Brooke and his
daughter were saved the embarrassment of dining alone--for it could not
be denied that it would have been embarrassing after the recent scene,
if there had been no third person present to whom they could address
remarks. Miss Brooke's mind was full of the meeting which she had
attended, and she gave them a glowing account of it. Lesley spoke very
little, but her face was happier than it had been for a long time,
although her eyes were red. Mr. Brooke looked at her a good deal in a
furtive kind of way, and with more interest than usual. She was
certainly a good-looking girl. But that was not all. Caspar Brooke had
passed the period of caring for good looks and nothing else. Lesley had
spirit, intelligence, honesty, endurance, as well as beauty. Well, she
might make a good wife for Maurice after all. For although he had
declared that Kenyon was "a shocking bad match," he was inclined to
think in his own heart that Kenyon was too good for his daughter Lesley.

However, he had a soft corner in his big heart for the little girl who
used to sit on his knee and refuse to go to sleep without his good-night
kiss, and he was pleased when she came up to him before he went out that
evening, and timidly put her face up to be kissed, as if she had still
been the child he loved. She had never done that before; and he took it
more as a sign of gratitude for permission to write to Lady Alice than
actual affection for himself.

"Are you writing your letter?" he said, touching her cheek half
playfully, half caressingly.

"Yes," said Lesley, looking down. "Is there--have you--no message?"

"Why should I have a message? Your mother and I correspond through our
lawyer, my dear. But--well, yes, if you like to say that I am sorry for
this mistake of the last few months, you may do so. I have no doubt that
she has missed your letters, and I should like her to understand that
the correspondence was not discontinued at my desire. I regret th