"My dear," said Lord Ronald, very tenderly, "I always meant to!"

* * * * *

Her Hero

I

THE AMERICAN COUSIN

"My dear child, it's absurd to be romantic over such a serious matter as
marriage--the greatest mistake, I assure you. Nothing could be more
suitable than an alliance with this very eligible young man. He plainly
thinks so himself. If you are so unreasonable as to throw away this
magnificent chance, I shall really feel inclined to give you up in
despair."

The soft, drawling accents fell with a gentle sigh through the perfumed
silence of the speaker's boudoir. She was an elderly woman, beautiful,
with that delicate, china-like beauty that never fades from youth to
age. Not even Lady Raffold's enemies had ever disputed the fact of her
beauty, not even her stepdaughter, firmly though she despised her.

She sat behind the tea-table, this stepdaughter, dark and inscrutable, a
grave, unresponsive listener. Her grey eyes never varied as Lady
Raffold's protest came lispingly through the quiet room. She might have
been turning over some altogether irrelevant problem at the back of her
mind. It was this girl's way to hide herself behind a shield of apparent
preoccupation when anything jarred upon her.

"I need scarcely tell you what it would mean to your father," went on
the soft voice. "Ever since poor Mortimer's death it has fretted him
terribly to think that the estates must pass out of the direct line.
Indeed, he hardly feels that the present heir belongs to the family at
all. The American branch has always seemed so remote. But now that the
young man is actually coming over to see his inheritance, it does seem
such a Heaven-sent chance for you. You know, dear, it's your sixth
season. You really ought to think seriously of getting settled. I am
sure it would be a great weight off my mind to see you suitably married.
And this young Cochrane is sure to take a reasonable view of the matter.
Americans are so admirably practical. And, of course, if your father
could leave all his money to the estates, as this marriage would enable
him to do, it would be a very excellent arrangement for all concerned."

The girl at the tea-table made a slight--a very slight--movement that
scarcely amounted to a gesture of impatience. The gentle drone of her
stepmother's voice was becoming monotonous. But she said nothing
whatever, and her expr