from Lord Hampstead's
end of the wire, were being directed every moment against Marion
Fay's heart.

"Now just for the fashion of the thing you must sit here for a
quarter of an hour, while we are supposed to be drinking our wine."
This was said by Lord Hampstead when he took the two ladies into the
drawing-room after dinner.

"Don't hurry yourselves," said Mrs. Roden. "Marion and I are old
friends, and will get on very well."

"Oh yes," said Marion. "It will be pleasure enough to me just to
sit here and look around me." Then Hampstead knelt down between
them, pretending to doctor up the fire, which certainly required no
doctoring. They were standing, one on one side and the other on the
other, looking down upon him.

"You are spoiling that fire, Lord Hampstead," said Mrs. Roden.

"Coals were made to be poked. I feel sure of that. Do take the poker
and give them one blow. That will make you at home in the house for
ever, you know." Then he handed the implement to Marion. She could
hardly do other than take it in her hand. She took it, blushed up to
the roots of her hair, paused a moment, and then gave the one blow to
the coals that had been required of her. "Thanks," said he, nodding
at her as he still knelt at her feet and took the poker from her;
"thanks. Now you are free of Hendon Hall for ever. I wouldn't have
any one but a friend poke my fire." Upon that he got up and walked
slowly out of the room.

"Oh, Mrs. Roden," said Marion, "I wish I hadn't done it."

"It doesn't matter. It was only a joke."

"Of course it was a joke! but I wish I hadn't done it. It seemed at
the moment that I should look to be cross if I didn't do as he bade
me. But when he had said that about being at home--! Oh, Mrs. Roden,
I wish I had not done it."

"He will know that it was nothing, my dear. He is good-humoured and
playful, and likes the feeling of making us feel that we are not
strangers." But Marion knew that Lord Hampstead would not take it as
meaning nothing. Though she could see no more than his back as he
walked out of the room, she knew that he was glowing with triumph.

"Now, Mr. Fay, here is port if you like, but I recommend you to stick
to the claret."

"I have pretty well done all the sticking, my lord, of which I am
competent," said the Quaker. "A little wine goes a long way with me,
as I am not much used to it."

"Wine maketh glad the heart of man," said Roden.

"True enough, Mr. Roden. But I doubt whether