me, you mad boy!" she answered,
smiling archly.

"I will do anything for you."

"Then answer my questions. Is it also true that Mr. Lyle and Miss Lytton
are to be married?"

"Oh, yes! That is certain. Their engagement is announced. There is no
secret about that."

"When are they to be married?"

"Well, there is a slight obstacle to their immediate union."

"What is that?"

"An old school-girl compact between Miss Cavendish and Miss Lytton, in
which they promised each other that they would both be married on the
same day or never at all."

"A very silly, girlish compact."

"Very."

"Why do they not break it by mutual consent?"

"Because mutual consent can not be had. Miss Cavendish indeed offers to
release Miss Lytton from her promise; but Miss Lytton refuses to be
released. And although her clerical lover presses her to name an earlier
day, she will name no other than the day upon which Miss Cavendish also
weds, be that day sooner or later."

"So it is settled that they will be married upon the same day?"

"Quite settled."

"How do you know?"

"Everything is known in a little country town like Wendover, as I said
before."

"They will be married the same day. Better and better. If I had arranged
it all myself it could not be better for my plans," muttered Mary Grey
to herself.

"What did you say?" inquired Craven Kyte.

"I say I think, upon the whole, the arrangement is a good one."

"Oh, yes; certainly!" admitted the young man.

"Where are you stopping, Craven?" softly inquired Mrs. Grey.

"Oh, at the same hotel from which you dated your letter! I thought you
were there, and so I went directly there from the cars. When I inquired
for you--I hope you will pardon my indiscretion in inquiring for you,"
he said, breaking off from his discourse.

"Oh, yes, I will pardon it! But it was a very great indiscretion, you
thoughtless boy, for a handsome youth like you to be inquiring for a
young widow like me at a public hotel. Now go on with what you were
talking about."

"Well, when I inquired for you they told me you had left this very
morning, and they gave me your present address."

"That was the way in which you found me?"

"That was the way I found you. But, before starting to come here, I
engaged my room at that hotel; for, after it had been blessed by your
dear presence, it had quite a home-like feeling to me," said the lover,
fervently.

"How long do you stay in the city, Craven, dear