be back before
you are gone, I hope, and then perhaps we may arrange something." The
only thing that Roden wished to arrange was a day for his own
wedding, as to which, as far as he knew, Lord Persiflage could have
nothing to say.

"I don't think you ought to be sorry," Lady Frances said to her lover
as they were wandering about on the mountains. He had endeavoured to
explain to her that this large income which was now promised to him
rather impeded than assisted the scheme of life which he had
suggested to himself.

"Not sorry,--but disappointed, if you know the difference."

"Not exactly."

"I had wanted to feel that I should earn my wife's bread."

"So you shall. If a man works honestly for his living, I don't think
he need inquire too curiously what proportion of it may come from his
own labour or from some other source. If I had had nothing we should
have done very well without the coach,--as poor Hampstead calls it.
But if the coach is there I don't see why we shouldn't ride in it."

"I should like to earn the coach too," said Roden.

"This, sir, will be a lesson serviceable in teaching you that you are
not to be allowed to have your own way in everything."

An additional leave of absence for a month had been accorded to
Roden. He had already been absent during a considerable time in the
spring of the year, and in the ordinary course of events would not
have been entitled to this prolonged indulgence. But there were
reasons deemed to be sufficient. He was going to meet a Cabinet
Minister. He was engaged to marry the daughter of a Marquis. And it
was known that he was not simply George Roden, but in truth the Duca
di Crinola. He had suffered some qualms of conscience as to the
favour to be thus shown him, but had quieted them by the idea that
when a man is in love something special ought to be done for him. He
remained, therefore, till the Foreign Secretary returned from his
royal service, and had by that time fixed the period of his marriage.
It was to take place in the cold comfortless month of March. It would
be a great thing, he had said, to have Hampstead present at it, and
it was Hampstead's intention to start on his long travels early in
April. "I don't see why people shouldn't be married in cold weather
as well as in hot," said Vivian. "Brides need not go about always in
muslin."

When Lord Persiflage returned to Castle Hautboy, he had his plan
ready arranged for relieving his future half-nephe