r the wedding,
at the express desire of Lady Thetford herself. She had seen him but
very rarely since that first day; illness had compelled her to keep her
room; but her interest in him was unabated, and she had sent for him to
her apartment, and invited him to remain. And Mr. Legard, a good deal
surprised, and a little flattered, consented at once.

"Very kind of Lady Thetford, you know, Miss Everard," Mr. Legard said,
sauntering into the room where she sat with her ex-governess--Mr. Legard
and Miss Everard were growing highly confidential of late--"to take such
an interest in an utter stranger as she does in me."

May stole a glance from under her eyelashes at Mrs. Weymore; that lady
sat nervous and scared-looking, and altogether uncomfortable, as she had
a habit of doing in the young artist's presence.

"Very," Miss Everard said, dryly. "You ought to feel highly
complimented, Mr. Legard, for it's a sort of kindness her ladyship is
extremely chary of to utter strangers. Rather odd, isn't it, Mrs.
Weymore?"

Mrs. Weymore's reply was a distressed, beseeching look. Mr. Legard saw
it, and opened very wide his handsome, Saxon eyes.

"Eh?" he said, "it doesn't mean anything does it? Mrs. Weymore looks
mysterious, and I'm so stupid about these things. Lady Thetford doesn't
know anything about me, does she?"

"Not that _I_ know of," May said, with significant emphasis on the
personal pronoun.

"Then Mrs. Weymore does! By Jove! I always thought Mrs. Weymore had an
odd way of looking at me! And now, what is it?"

He turned his fair, resolute face to that lady with a smile hard to
resist.

"I don't make much of a howling about my affairs, you know, Mrs
Weymore," he said; "but, for all that, I am none the less interested in
myself and history. If you can open the mysteries a little you will be
conferring a favor on me I can never repay. And I am positive from your
looks you can."

Mrs. Weymore turned away, and covered her face, with a sort of sob. The
young lady and gentleman exchanged startled glances.

"You can then?" Mr. Legard said, gravely, but growing very pale. "You
know who I am?"

To his boundless consternation Mrs. Weymore rose up, seizing his hands
and covering them with kisses.

"I do! I do! I know who you are, and so shall you before this wedding
takes place. But before I tell you I must speak to Lady Thetford."

Mr. Legard withdrew his hands, his face as colorless as her own.

"To Lady Thetford!