e _role_ he
offered her, and allowed it to be supposed that she had been the
faithless, he the forsaken, one; whereas in reality, as Ayre remarked,
she had herself doubled the parts. Claudia judiciously avoided the
question of her presence at the ceremony by a timely absence from
London, and enjoyed only at second-hand the amusement Eugene derived
from Haddington's hesitation between triumph over his supposed rival,
and doubt, which had in reality gained the better part. In spite of this
doubt, it is allowable to hope for a very fair share of working
happiness in the Haddington household. Kate was hardly a woman to make a
man happy; but, on the other hand, she would not prevent him being happy
if his bent lay in that direction. And Haddington was too entirely
contented with himself to be other than happy.

Eugene's wedding was fixed for the Easter recess, and among the party
gathered for the occasion at Millstead were most of those who had been
his guests in the previous summer. The Haddingtons were not there--Kate
retorted Claudia's evasion; and of course Stafford's figure was missing;
but the Territon brothers were there, and Morewood and Ayre, the former
bringing with him the completed picture, which was Rickmansworth's
present to his sister. The party was to be enlarged the day before, the
wedding by a large company of relations of both their houses.

The evening before this invasion was expected, Eugene came down to
dinner looking rather perturbed. He was a little silent during the meal,
and when the ladies withdrew, he turned at once to Ayre:

"I have heard from Stafford."

"Ah! what does he say?"

"He has joined the Church of Rome."

"I thought he would."

Morewood grunted angrily.

"Did you tell him to?" he asked Ayre.

"No; I think I referred to it."

"Do you suppose he's honest?" Morewood went on.

"Why not?" asked Eugene. "I could never make out why he didn't go
before. What do you say, Ayre?"

Sir Roderick was a little troubled. This exact following of, or anyhow
coincidence with, his advice seemed to cast a responsibility upon him.

"Oh, I expect he's honest enough; and it's a splendid field for him," he
answered, repeating the argument he had urged to Stafford himself.

"Ayre," said Morewood aggressively, "you've driven that young man to
perdition."

"Bosh!" said Ayre. "He's not a sheep to be driven, and Rome isn't
perdition. I did no more than give his thoughts a turn."

"I think I am