he
last words he looked round into her face with an anxious inquiring
glance which went direct to her heart.

"What can I say, Mr. Orme?"

"Ah, no. Of course nothing. Good-bye, Lady Staveley. I might as well
go. I know that I was a fool for coming here. I knew it as I was
coming. Indeed I hardly meant to come in when I found myself at the
gate."

"But you must not go from us like that."

"I must though. Do you think that I could go in and see her? If I did
I should make such a fool of myself that I could never again hold up
my head. And I am a fool. I ought to have known that a fellow like me
could have no chance with her. I could knock my own head off, if I
only knew how, for having made such an ass of myself."

"No one here thinks so of you, Mr. Orme."

"No one here thinks what?"

"That it was--unreasonable in you to propose to Madeline. We all know
that you did her much honour."

"Psha!" said he, turning away from her.

"Ah! but you must listen to me. That is what we all think--Madeline
herself, and I, and her father. No one who knows you could think
otherwise. We all like you, and know how good and excellent you are.
And as to worldly station, of course you stand above her."

"Psha!" he said again angrily. How could any one presume to talk of
the worldly station of his goddess? For just then Madeline Staveley
to him was a goddess!

"That is what we think, indeed, Mr. Orme. As for myself, had my girl
come to me telling me that you had proposed to her, and telling me
also that--that--that she felt that she might probably like you, I
should have been very happy to hear it." And Lady Staveley as she
spoke, put out her hand to him.

"But what did she say?" asked Peregrine, altogether disregarding the
hand.

"Ah, she did not say that. She told me that she had declined the
honour that you had offered her;--that she did not regard you as she
must regard the man to whom she would pledge her heart."

"But did she say that she could never love me?" And now as he asked
the question he stood up again, looking down with all his eyes into
Lady Staveley's face,--that face which would have been so friendly to
him, so kind and so encouraging, had it been possible.

"Never is a long word, Mr. Orme."

"Ah, but did she say it? Come, Lady Staveley; I know I have been a
fool, but I am not a cowardly fool. If it be so;--if I have no hope,
tell me at once, that I may go away. In that case I shall be better
anywhere ou