'

'Astonishingly. I don't see much of her. She came in the other night to
tell me that a Captain Somebody had proposed to her after six minutes
of acquaintance, and laughed more gaily over it than I ever saw her.
It's part of her education, of course; probably it was wise to postpone
it no longer. I wait with curiosity to hear her opinion of this world
at the end of July.'

Mrs. Ormonde mused. Mr. Newthorpe walked about a little, then asked:

'What do you prophesy of their future?

'Of whose future?'

'Egremont's and his wife.'

'You are premature. He is not married.'

'Oh, then you are not altogether without news?'

'I shall take you into my confidence. I find the responsibility a
little too burdensome. The fact is, this girl, Thyrza Trent, is at
present in my care.'

She gave a succinct account of the recent events, and explained them as
far as her information allowed. The all-important point still remained
obscure, but she showed her reasons for believing that something had
passed between Egremont and Thyrza which could lead to but one result
if they met again, now that the old objections were at an end.

'My desire is,' she pursued, 'to prevent that meeting. I have racked my
brains over the matter, with no better result than Mrs. Grundy would at
once have arrived at by noble intuition. It would be a grave mistake
for Walter to marry this girl.'

'On general grounds, or from your special knowledge of her character?'

'Both. A third reason is--that I have long ago made up my mind whom he
is to marry.'

'Yes,' said Mr. Newthorpe, gravely, the worry he no longer cared to
conceal making him look old and feeble, 'yes, but that project has
hardly become more hopeful during the last few weeks.'

'We have to think of a lifetime. I have by no means lost hope. I fear
the atmosphere in which you are living has some effect upon you. The
case stands thus: Walter has done nothing in the least dishonourable,
but he has been carried away, as any imaginative young fellow would
probably have been under the circumstances. The girl is very beautiful,
wonderfully sweet and lovable; if a man ruined himself to obtain her I
dare say it would be a long time before he repented.'

'At least six months.'

'No, I can't joke about Thyrza. I love her myself, and if I can by any
means guide her life into a smooth channel it will make me very happy.
But she must not marry Walter; that would assuredly _not_ be for her
happiness.