xpecting, took place. During one of the
afternoon practices, when, for a few minutes, Mrs. Fullerton had left
the room, Temperley startled Hadria by an extremely elegant proposal of
marriage. He did not seem surprised at her refusal, though he pleaded
his cause with no little eloquence. Hadria found it a painful ordeal.
She shrank from the ungracious necessity to disappoint what appeared to
be a very ardent hope. Happily, the interview was cut short by the
entrance of Mr. Fullerton. The old man was not remarkable for _finesse_.
He gave a dismayed "Oh!" He coughed, suppressed a smile, and murmuring
some lame enquiry as to the progress of the music, turned and marched
out of the room. The sound of laughter was presently heard from the
dining-room below.

"Father is really too absurd!" cried Hadria, "there is _no_ tragedy that
he is incapable of roaring at!"

"I fear his daughter takes after him," said Temperley with a tragi-comic
smile.

When Hadria next met her father, he asked, with perfect but suspicious
gravity, about the music that they had been practising that afternoon.
He could not speak too highly of music as a pastime. He regretted having
rushed in as he did--it must have been so disturbing to the music. Why
not have a notice put up outside the door on these occasions: "Engaged"?
Then the meanest intelligence would understand, and the meanest
intelligence was really a thing one had to count with, in this
blundering world!

CHAPTER X.

Hubert Temperley left Drumgarren suddenly. He said that he had business
to attend to in town.

"That foolish girl has refused him!" exclaimed Valeria, when she heard
of it.

"Thank heaven!" ejaculated Professor Fortescue.

Valeria's brow clouded. "Why are you so anxious about the matter?"

"Because I know that a marriage between those two would end in misery."

Valeria spoke very seriously to Hadria on the subject of marriage,
urging the importance of it, and the wretchedness of growing old in
solitude.

"Better even that, than to grow old in uncongenial company," said
Hadria.

Valeria shrugged her shoulders. "One could go away when it became
oppressive," she suggested, at which Hadria laughed.

"What an ideal existence!"

"Are you still dreaming of an ideal existence?"

"Why not?"

"Well, dream while you may," said Miss Du Prel. "My time of dreaming was
the happiest of all."

On one occasion, when Hadria and the Professor went to call at Craw
Gill,