, Miss Everard. I am very much obliged to you. Ah!
by Jove! Sir Rupert himself."

For riding slowly up under the sunlit trees, came the young baronet. As
Mr. Legard spoke, his glance fell upon them, the young lady and
gentleman advancing so confidentially, with half a dozen curly poodles
frisking around them. To say Sir Rupert stared, would be a mild way of
putting it--his eyes opened in wide wonder.

"Guy Legard!"

"Thetford! My dear Sir Rupert!"

The baronet leaped off his horse, his eyes lighting, and shook hands
with the artist, in a burst of heartiness very rare with him.

"Where in the world did you drop from, and how under the sun do you come
to be on such uncommonly friendly footing with Miss Everard?"

"I leave the explanation to Mr. Legard," said May, blushing a little
under Sir Rupert's glance, "while I go and see mamma, only premising
that luncheon-hour is past, and you had better not linger."

She tripped away, and the two young men followed more slowly into the
house. Sir Rupert led his friend to his studio, and left him to inspect
the pictures.

"Whilst I speak a word to my mother," he said; "it will detain me hardly
an instant."

"All right!" said Mr. Legard, boyishly. "Don't hurry yourself on my
account, you know."

Lady Thetford lay where her son had left her; lay as if she had hardly
stirred since. She looked up, and half rose as he came in, her eyes
painfully, intensely anxious. But his face, grave and quiet, told
nothing.

"Well," she panted, her eyes glittering.

"It is well, mother. Aileen Jocyln has promised to become my wife."

"Thank God!"

Lady Thetford sunk back, her hands clasped tightly over her heart, its
loud beating plainly audible. Her son looked down at her, his face
keeping its steady gravity--none of the rapture of an accepted lover
there.

"You are content, mother?"

"More than content, Rupert. And you?"

He smiled, and stooping, kissed the worn, pallid face. "I would do a
great deal to make you happy, mother; but I would _not_ ask a woman I
did not love to be my wife. Be at rest; all is well with me. And now I
must leave you, if you will not go down to luncheon."

"I think not; I am not strong to-day. Is May waiting?"

"More than May. A friend of mine has arrived, and will stay with us for
a few weeks."

Lady Thetford's face had been flushed and eager, but at the last words
it suddenly blanched.

"A friend, Rupert! Who?"

"You have heard me speak of h