en months after his daughter's visit to Carbury
Towers, Mr. Reginald Harrington Lind called at a house in Manchester
Square and found Mrs. Douglas at home. Sholto's mother was a widow lady
older than Mr. Lind, with a rather glassy eye and shaky hand, who would
have looked weak and shiftless in an almshouse, but who, with plenty of
money, unlimited domestic service, and unhesitating deference from
attendants who were all trained artists in their occupation, made a fair
shew of being a dignified and interesting old lady. When he was seated,
her first action was to take a new photograph from a little table at her
side, and hand it to him without a word, awaiting his recognition of it
with a shew of natural pride and affection which was amateurish in
comparison to the more polished and skilful comedy with which her
visitor took it and pretended to admire it.

"Capital. Capital," said Mr. Lind. "He must give us one."

"You dont think that the beard has spoiled him, do you?" said Mrs.
Douglas.

"Certainly not: it is an improvement," said Mr. Lind, decisively. "You
are glad to have him back again with you, I dare say. Ah yes, yes" (Mrs.
Douglas's eyes had answered for her). "Did he tell you that he met me? I
saw him on Wednesday last for the first time since his return to London.
How long was he away?"

"Two years," she replied, with slow emphasis, as if such an absence
were hardly credible. "Two long years. He has been staying in Paris, in
Venice, in Florence: a month here, a week there, dissatisfied
everywhere. He would have been almost as happy with me at home. And how
is Marian?"

"Well," said Mr. Lind, smiling, "I believe she is still disengaged; and
she professes to be fancy free. She is fond of saying, generally, that
she will never marry, and so forth. That is the new fashion with young
women--if saying what they dont mean can be called a new fashion."

"Marian is sure to get married," said Mrs. Douglas. "She must have had
offers already. There are few parents who have not cause to envy you."

"We have both been happy in that respect, Mrs. Douglas. Sholto is a
highly distinguished young man. I wish I had started in life with half
his advantages. I thought at one time he was perhaps becoming attached
to Marian."

"You are quite sure, Mr. Lind, that you could forgive his being a plain
gentleman? A little bird whispered to me that you desired a title for
Marian."

"My dear Mrs. Douglas, we, who are familiar wit