eatherly next day, very much to the secret distaste
of the former, who must thus lose an evening with Marian, but who was
ashamed to reveal his hopeless condition by a persistent refusal.
Captain Sedgewick begged John Saltram to choose an early day for dining
at the cottage, and Gilbert gave him a general invitation to Lidford
House.

These matters being settled, they departed, accompanied by Mr. Saltram,
who proposed to walk as far as the wood with them, and who extended his
walk still farther, only leaving them at the gate of the Captain's modest
domain. The conversation was general throughout the way back; and they
all found plenty to talk about, as they loitered slowly on among the
waving shadows of the trees flickering darkly on the winding path by
which they went. Gilbert lingered outside the gate after Marian and her
uncle had gone into the cottage--he was so eager to hear his friend
praise the girl he loved.

"Well, John?" he asked.

"Well, dear old boy, she is all that is beautiful and charming, and I can
only congratulate you upon your choice. Miss Nowell's perfection is a
subject about which there cannot be two opinions."

"And you think she loves me, Jack?"

"Do I think she loves you? Why, surely, Gil, that is not a question upon
which you want another man's judgment?"

"No, of course not, but one is never tired of receiving the assurance of
that fact. And you could see by her way of speaking about me----"

"She spoke of you in the prettiest manner possible. She seems to consider
you quite a superior being."

"Dear girl, she is so good and simple-hearted. Do you know, Jack, I feel
as if I could never be sufficiently grateful to Providence for my
happiness in having won such an angel."

"Well, you certainly have reason to consider yourself a very lucky
fellow; but I doubt if any man ever deserved good fortune better than you
do, Gilbert. And now, good-bye. It's getting unconscionably late, and I
shall scarcely get back in time to change my clothes for dinner. We spend
all our evenings in pious devotion to billiards, with a rubber or two, or
a little lansquenet towards the small hours. Don't forget your engagement
to-morrow; good-bye."

They had a very pleasant evening at Heatherly. Sir David's guests at this
time consisted of a Major Foljambe, an elderly man who had seen a good
deal of service in India; a Mr. Harker, who had been in the church, and
had left it in disgust as alike unsuited to his t