the fair forehead of
her future daughter-in-law, and uttered a prayer for God's blessing on
her. Then Griselda said, "I must return now to Lady Betty. Will you
come, sir?"

"Give me my name," he said. "Let me hear you give me my name."

"There is time enough for that," she said, rallying with an arch smile.
"We will come to that by-and-by."

And soon they were retracing their steps to the North Parade, joy in
their hearts, and that sweet sense of mutual love and confidence, which
in all times, whenever it is given, comes near to the bliss of the first
love-story rehearsed in Paradise. Alas! that too often it should pass
like a dream, and that the trail of the serpent should be ready to mar
the beauty of the flowers of an Eden like Leslie Travers's, and Griselda
Mainwaring's.

CHAPTER X.

A PROPOSAL.

The door of the house in North Parade was opened by Graves.

"Where have you been?" she said anxiously. "Dinner is not only served,
but just finished. There have been tantrums about it, I can tell you.
You may prepare for a fuss. Her ladyship----"

"Perhaps," Griselda said, turning to Leslie--"perhaps you had better pay
your visit to-morrow. Let me see Lady Betty alone."

Graves, who saw the hesitation, now said:

"Yes, Miss Griselda, her ladyship is in no mood to see a stranger. You
had best bid the gentleman good-day, and come in."

"It may be it is best," Griselda said. "So good-bye--good-bye till
to-morrow."

"Unless we meet in the Assembly Room," Leslie said, holding her hand;
and bending over it, he pressed it to his lips again and again, as if he
could not give it up.

She drew it gently away, and then ran with a light step to her own room.
Graves followed her.

"What does it mean, my dear?" she asked.

"It means that I am no longer alone in the wide, cold world. Oh, be glad
for me, Graves, be glad! I am to be the wife of a good man--Mr. Leslie
Travers."

"Good! Well, there is none good--no, not one! He may be better in the
eye of _man_ than the rest, but _good_!--he may be a _moral_ man."

"He is everything that is noble and good! Oh, Graves, I am so happy!"

"Poor child!--poor child!" the faithful woman said, as she smoothed the
bow on the wide hat before putting it away--"poor child! Well, you'll
need a protector. There's a great to-do in the dining-parlour. I heard
your name again and again; and her ladyship and that man who is so often
here--worse luck--were making free with it