utterly unman him.

"I should be wicked to deceive you," she said. "There is no hope."
And then as she looked up at the sorrow so plainly written in the
lines of his young, handsome face, tears came into her eyes and
rolled down her cheeks. How could it be that a daughter of hers
should be indifferent to the love of such a suitor as this?

But Peregrine, when he saw her sorrow, repressed his own. "Very
well," said he; "I will at any rate know how to take an answer. And
for your kindness to me in the matter I am much obliged. I ought to
have known myself better than to have supposed she could have cared
for me."

"I am sure she feels that you have done her great honour."

"Psha! honour! But never mind--Good-bye, Lady Staveley."

"Will you not see her?"

"No. Why should I see her? Give her my love--my best love--"

"I will--I will."

"And tell her that I hope she may be happy, and make some fellow
happy who is more fortunate than I am. I shall get out of the way
somewhere, so that I shall not make a fool of myself when I see it."
And then he took his departure, and rode back again to The Cleeve.
This happened two days before the commencement of the trial, and the
day before that on which Graham was to arrive at Noningsby.

When Graham received the judge's note asking him to put up at
Noningsby for the assize week, he was much astonished. It was very
short.

DEAR GRAHAM,

As you are coming down to Alston, special in Lady Mason's
case, you may as well come and stay here. Lady Staveley
bids me say that she will be delighted. Your elder
brethren will no doubt go back to London each night, so
that you will not be expected to remain with them.

Yours always, &c.

What could be the intention of the judge in taking so strange a step
as this? The judge had undertaken to see him in three months, having
given him some faint idea that there then might be a chance of hope.
But now, before one month was over, he was actually sending for him
to the house, and inviting him to stay there. What would all the bar
world say when they found that a young barrister was living at the
judge's house during the assizes? Would it not be in every man's
mouth that he was a suitor accepted both by the judge's daughter and
by the judge? There would be nothing in that to go against the grain
with him, if only the fact were so. That the fact should be so he
could not venture to hope even on this hint; but he acce