shrugged her shoulders; the honours that have been within our
reach are never quite so wonderful as those that have not.

So Alan and Felicia were married with much rejoicing and ringing of
bells; and Elisabeth found it very pleasant to have her old schoolfellow
settled at the Moat House. In fact so thoroughly did she throw herself
into the interests of Felicia's new home, that she ceased to feel her
need of Christopher, and consequently neglected him somewhat. It was
only when others failed her that he was at a premium; when she found she
could do without him, she did. As for him, he loyally refrained from
blaming Elisabeth, even in his heart, and cursed Fate instead; which
really was unfair of him, considering that in this matter Elisabeth, and
not Fate, was entirely to blame. But Christopher was always ready to
find excuses for Elisabeth, whatever she might do; and this, it must be
confessed, required no mean order of ingenuity just then. Elisabeth was
as yet young enough to think lightly of the gifts that were bestowed
upon her freely and with no trouble on her part, such as bread and air
and sunshine and the like; it was reserved for her to learn later that
the things one takes for granted are the best thing life has to offer.

It must also be remembered, for her justification, that Christopher had
never told her that he loved her "more than reason"; and it is difficult
for women to believe that any man loves them until he has told them so,
just as it is difficult for them to believe that a train is going direct
to the place appointed to it in Bradshaw, until they have been verbally
assured upon the point by two guards, six porters, and a newspaper boy.
Nevertheless, Elisabeth's ignorance--though perhaps excusable,
considering her sex--was anything but bliss to poor Christopher, and
her good-natured carelessness hurt him none the less for her not knowing
that it hurt him.

When Felicia had been married about three months her mother came to stay
with her at the Moat House; and Elisabeth smiled to herself--and to
Christopher--as she pictured the worthy woman's delight in her
daughter's new surroundings.

"She'll extol all Felicia's belongings as exhaustively as if she were
the Benedicite," Elisabeth said, "and she'll enumerate them as carefully
as if she were sending them to the wash. You'll find there won't be a
single one omitted--not even the second footman or the soft-water
cistern. Mrs. Herbert is one who ba