gently kissing the soft old face.

'And to look further forward still,' Lady Myrtle continued, holding
Jacinth's hand which she had possessed herself of, 'your aunt and I are
of accord on another point, my child. Your father must not return to
India; he has had enough of it. And your mother too.'

'Then you think he should accept'----began Jacinth.

'We will not go into particulars,' she replied, patting Jacinth's hand.
'To begin with, Colonel Mildmay has not consulted me. He must first get
to know me. But--no, of course that dreadful Barmettle is out of the
question. You might almost as well be all in India, as far as I am
concerned, for all I should see of you. But all that is some way off
still. The first thing to do is to get your mother's promise to come
straight here.'

'I am sure she will,' said Jacinth. 'I don't feel any anxiety about
that.'

'Nor do I,' said her aunt.

Just then the luncheon gong sounded, and they all went down-stairs in
the best of spirits. In the dining-room they were joined by Frances and
Eugene, who thanks to the genial influences of the morning's news, ran
up to Miss Mildmay, and kissed her much more effusively than was usual
with them.

'How well you are both looking!' she said, and Lady Myrtle glanced
round, pleased at the remark. 'I don't think his mother will recognise
Eugene,' Miss Mildmay went on. 'Well, no, she could scarcely do that in
any case. But I mean to say I think she will find it difficult to
believe we are not cheating her altogether when she sees this great,
strong, rosy fellow. He was such a poor little specimen!'

'He must have been brought home in time, however,' said Lady Myrtle.
'Ah, yes, our Indian possessions cost us dear in some ways. Though it is
nothing to the old days; my people were soldiers for generations you
know, so we had full experience of these difficulties. I and my brothers
were born in India; my father was only captain in his regiment when he
came into the Elvedon title and property unexpectedly. He would have
lived to be very distinguished, I feel sure, if he had not left the
army;' and she sighed a little.

'But you have distinguished relatives in the army still,' said Miss
Mildmay. 'The Captain Harper who was wounded at----after his most
gallant conduct. He is a relation, is he not? I heard about him from
Miss Scarlett: you know his daughters were at Ivy Lodge, and'----

'Indeed!' said Lady Myrtle, and a very strange expression came in