upon him
intolerably. He believed that he was going through the dreariest time
of his life.

How often he thought with envy of the little parlour in Walnut Tree
Walk! To toil oneself weary through a long day in a candle factory, and
then come back to the evening meal, with the certainty that a sweet
young face would be there to meet one with its smile, sweet lips to
give affectionate welcome--that would be better than this life which he
led. He wished to go there again, but feared to do so without
invitation. The memory of his evening there made drawing-rooms
distasteful to him.

He had a letter from Mrs. Ormonde, in which a brief mention was made of
Thyrza's visit. He replied:

'Why do you not tell me more of the impression made upon you by Miss
Trent? It was a favourable one, of course, as you kept her with you
over the Sunday. You do not mention whether Annabel saw her. She is
very fond of music; it would have been a kindness to ask Annabel to
play to her. But I have Miss Newthorpe's promise that she and her
father will come and see the library as soon as it is open; then at all
events they will make the acquaintance of Mrs. Grail.

'She interests me very much, as you gather from my way of writing about
her. I hope she will come to think of me as a friend. It will be
delightful to watch her mind grow. I am sure she has faculties of a
very delicate kind; I believe she will soon be able to appreciate
literature. Has she not a strange personal charm, and is it not
impossible to think of her becoming anything but a beautiful-natured
woman? You too, now that you know her, will continue to be her
friend--I earnestly hope so. If she could be for a little time with you
now and then, how it would help to develop the possibilities that are
in her!'

To the letter of which this was part, Mrs. Ormonde quickly responded:

'With regard to Miss Trent,' she said, 'I beg you not to indulge your
idealistic habits of thought immoderately. I found her a pretty and
interesting girl, and it is not unlikely that she may make a good wife
for such a man as Mr. Grail--himself, clearly, quite enough of an
idealist to dispense with the more solid housewifely virtues in his
life-mate. But I add this, Walter: It certainly would not be advisable
to fill her head too suddenly with a kind of thought to which she has
hitherto been a stranger. If I had influence with Mr. Grail, I should
hint to him that he is going to marry a very young wife,