gether with the people, the houses, and the streets,
seems sleepy; nothing would excite him, or interest him, or startle him.

"Now, Leone, I have taken lodgings for myself for three weeks in this
sleepy village; no one will take any notice of me; I shall go and come
just as I will; then I shall have the bans of our marriage published.
The dear old vicar will read them in his sleepy tones:

"'I publish the bans of marriage for the first time between Lancelot
Chandos and Leone Noel.' No one will hear the names plainly, and those
who do will not know to whom they belong, and there will be no
impediment; will there, Leone?"

The water laughed as it hurried over the stones.

"No impediment," it seemed to say; "no impediment, Leone."

CHAPTER VII.

A FRIEND'S ADVICE.

"But," asked Leone, anxiously, "will that be safe, Lance? Supposing that
any one should hear and recognize the names, what then?"

"There is no fear. Nothing can ever be done without risk; but there is
no risk there--at least, none that I fear to run. I guarantee that not
one person in that church hears those names clearly. Then you will see
that I have arranged every detail. Then, when the three weeks have
expired, we will meet there some fine morning and be married. I have a
friend who will come with me as a witness. After that I propose that we
go to London, and there I shall introduce you to my father first; then
we will go down to Cawdor to my mother. Do you like the plan, Leone?"

"I should like it much better if they could know of it beforehand," she
replied, gravely.

His face grew grave as her own.

"That cannot be," he replied. "You see, Leone, I am not of age; I shall
not be twenty-one until September: and if my parents knew of it, they
have power to forbid the marriage, and we could not be married; but done
without their knowledge, they are of course powerless."

"I do not like it," she said, with a shudder; "I would rather all was
open and sincere."

"It cannot be. Why, Leone, where is your reason? If even your uncle
knew, he would interfere to prevent it. In his slow, stolid, honest mind
he would think such a marriage quite wrong, you may be sure; he would
talk about caste, and position, and all kinds of nonsense. We must keep
our secret to ourselves, my darling, if we wish to be married at all.
Surely, Leone, you love me enough to sacrifice your wishes to me on this
point?"

The beautiful face was raised to his.

"I lov