to Arthur,
and he talked of it very often to Adela.

And the upshot of his talking to Adela was always this: "Why, oh
why, was not his Caroline more like to her?" Caroline was doubtless
the more beautiful, doubtless the more clever, doubtless the more
fascinating. But what are beauty and talent and fascination without a
heart? He was quite sure that Adela's heart was warm.

He went to Littlebath no more that year. It was well perhaps that he
did not. Well or ill as the case may be. Had he done so, he would,
in his then state of mind, most assuredly have broken with Miss
Waddington. In lieu, however, of accepting Miss Baker's invitation
for Christmas, he went to Hadley and spent two or three days there,
uncomfortable himself, and making the old man uncomfortable also.

Up to this time he had been completely idle--at any rate, as far
as the law was concerned--since the day of his great break down on
the receipt of Miss Waddington's letter. He still kept his Temple
chambers, and when the day came round in October, he made another
annual payment to Mr. Die. On that occasion Mr. Die had spoken rather
seriously to him; but up to that time his period of idleness had
mainly been the period of the long vacation, and Mr. Die was willing
to suppose that this continued payment was a sign that he intended to
settle again to work.

"Will it be impertinent to ask," his uncle at Hadley had said to
him--"will it be impertinent to ask what you and Caroline intend to
do?" At this time Mr. Bertram was aware that his nephew knew in what
relationship they all stood to each other.

"No impertinence at all, sir. But, unfortunately, we have no
intentions in common. We are engaged to be married, and I want to
keep my engagement."

"And she wants to break hers. Well, I cannot but say that she is the
wiser of the two."

"I don't know that her wisdom goes quite so far as that. She is
content to abide the evil day; only she would postpone it."

"That is to say, she has some prudence. Are you aware that I have
proposed to make a considerable addition to her fortune--to hers,
mind--on condition that she would postpone her marriage till next
summer?"

"I did hear something about some sum of money--that you had spoken to
Miss Baker about it, I believe; but I quite forget the particulars."

"You are very indifferent as to money matters, Mr. Barrister."

"I am indifferent as to the money matters of other people, sir. I had
no intention of