any one here," said she doggedly.

"Rosalind, you offend me. You are incapable, as I have told you before,
of appreciating your duty either to me or yourself. Oblige me by
going."

"Papa, dear, I am only anxious--"

"Go!" said the Captain brusquely.

She obeyed. Mr Armstrong, as he met her in the hall and marked the
bright colour in her cheeks and the light in her eyes, thought to
himself how uncommonly well she was looking this morning. He might have
thought otherwise had he seen her in her studio half an hour later, with
the colour all faded, striving miserably to resume her painting at the
point where she had left it off.

Her good father, meanwhile, naturally put out, continued his
meditations.

"A most vexing child--no support to me at all. On the contrary, an
embarrassment. I might have guessed she would cut up rough. Yet I do
so long for a little sympathy. Wonder if I shall get any from my dear
cousin Eva some fine day? Hum. I more and more incline to that
venture. It would suit my book, to say nothing of my being really
almost in love with the dear creature. But I'm so abominably shy.
Let's see, Ratman is due first week in October--a month hence. I shall
have to keep him quiet some how. He won't be satisfied with things as
they are, I'm afraid. All very well to be heir-presumptive when there's
little prospect of presuming. Dear Roger is certainly not robust--not
at all, poor boy. Still he seems tenacious of what would be very much
more useful to me than to him. Yes, it would strengthen my hands vastly
if my dear cousin Eva were to give me the right to regard the lad as a
father. There would be something definite in that. It would solve the
Armstrong question, for one thing, I flatter myself; and as for
Rosalind--yes by the way--"

He took out the letter again and read the postscript carefully.

"Yes--tut, tut--how oddly things do work out sometimes. Evidently it is
my duty all round, for the sake of everybody, to cast aside my natural
bashfulness and use the opportunities Providence gives me."

With which reflection he lit a cigar, and had a pleasant ramble in the
park with little Miss Jill, who had rarely seen her papa more lively or
amusing.

His spirits were destined to be still further cheered by an occurrence
which took place on the following day.

Roger, despite his delicate health, had managed to get through a
creditable amount of work during the summer under Mr Armstron