, besides the devise of this
estate--and, by the way, a large legacy came to her in satisfaction of
dower, as it is called.'

'Three thousand five hundred a year!'

'And a large--well, a fair-sized--mansion in town, and a pedigree as
long as my walking-stick; though that bears evidence of being rather a
raked-up affair--done since the family got rich--people do those
things now as they build ruins on maiden estates and cast antiques at
Birmingham.'

Elfride merely listened and said nothing.

He continued more quietly and impressively. 'Yes, Elfride, she is
wealthy in comparison with us, though with few connections. However, she
will introduce you to the world a little. We are going to exchange her
house in Baker Street for one at Kensington, for your sake. Everybody is
going there now, she says. At Easters we shall fly to town for the usual
three months--I shall have a curate of course by that time. Elfride, I
am past love, you know, and I honestly confess that I married her for
your sake. Why a woman of her standing should have thrown herself
away upon me, God knows. But I suppose her age and plainness were too
pronounced for a town man. With your good looks, if you now play your
cards well, you may marry anybody. Of course, a little contrivance will
be necessary; but there's nothing to stand between you and a husband
with a title, that I can see. Lady Luxellian was only a squire's
daughter. Now, don't you see how foolish the old fancy was? But come,
she is indoors waiting to see you. It is as good as a play, too,'
continued the vicar, as they walked towards the house. 'I courted her
through the privet hedge yonder: not entirely, you know, but we used to
walk there of an evening--nearly every evening at last. But I needn't
tell you details now; everything was terribly matter-of-fact, I assure
you. At last, that day I saw her at Stratleigh, we determined to settle
it off-hand.'

'And you never said a word to me,' replied Elfride, not reproachfully
either in tone or thought. Indeed, her feeling was the very reverse of
reproachful. She felt relieved and even thankful. Where confidence had
not been given, how could confidence be expected?

Her father mistook her dispassionateness for a veil of politeness over a
sense of ill-usage. 'I am not altogether to blame,' he said. 'There
were two or three reasons for secrecy. One was the recent death of her
relative the testator, though that did not apply to you. But remember