and again alas! poor Freda!

However, all things come to an end, and an heiress's twenty-first
birthday amongst them. Miss Nugent's did not finish till three o'clock
in the morning, at which hour, Mr and Miss Gwynne and Colonel Vaughan
were driving home from the festivities at Pentre. The gentlemen were
keeping up a rather lively conversation on the events of the evening,
and the lady was sustaining a very strong conflict with her own pride.

As the carriage rolled past a certain large oak tree in the Park, Freda
suddenly remembered Rowland Prothero. About a twelvemonth ago she had
left him beneath that oak, humbled and deeply pained, doubtless, by her
haughty words. Now she was similarly pained and humbled, and she was,
for the first time, aware of the shock her proud refusal of his love
must have been to him. Had she not been weak enough to yield her heart
unasked, and was it not almost thrown back into her own bosom? She, who
had believed herself above the silly romance of her sex, to have sunk
below even Miss Nugent. But she would rouse herself from such a mania,
and show Colonel Vaughan how thoroughly she despised him.

She did rouse herself, and the first words she heard were,--

'Yes, certainly, very handsome, mother and daughter,' from Colonel
Vaughan's lips.

'And which is to be the happy object of your notice, Colonel Vaughan?'
she asked, suddenly joining in the conversation. 'I heard grand
discussions on the subject on all sides.'

'Really,' replied the colonel, somewhat surprised by the sudden
question, 'I did not know I was of so much importance.'

'What! you, about whom every one is speculating.'

'Freda, my dear, I am so glad you are able to speak. I thought you
so--ill, dull, unlike yourself, and all that sort of thing.'

'Thanks, papa, I was thoroughly overpowered by the heat; but this
delightful breeze has refreshed me. I hope, Colonel Vaughan, you also
have got over your weakness. I wonder you ever returned alive from
India, if such a day as this was sufficient to upset you.'

Further sarcasm was cut short by their reaching the house, for which
Freda was very thankful, at a later period, feeling that she lowered her
dignity by allowing herself to allude, however covertly, to Gladys or
Miss Nugent. But she was scarcely herself when she did so.

Colonel Vaughan was going to help her out of the carriage, but she
passed quickly up the steps without touching his arm.

He had felt her lash, and