e that. He hardly now wished
that she should love him.

But he would go to Littlebath at once and ask her the question. He
would ask her all those questions which were now burning inside his
heart. She did not like severe letters, and he would write no more
such to her. What further communication might of necessity take place
between them should be by word of mouth. So he resolved to go down to
Littlebath on the morrow.

And then he reached his chambers, weary and sad at heart. But he
was no longer angry. He endeavoured to persuade himself that he was
absolutely the reverse of angry. He knelt down and prayed that she
might be happy. He swore that he would do anything to make her so.
But that anything was not to include any chance of a marriage with
himself.

CHAPTER V.

JUNO.

In spite of his philosophy and his prayers, Bertram went to bed not
in a very happy state of mind. He was a man essentially of a warm and
loving heart. He was exigeant, and perhaps even selfish in his love.
Most men are so. But he did love, had loved; and having made up his
mind to part from that which he had loved, he could not be happy. He
had often lain awake, thinking of her faults to him; but now he lay
thinking of his faults to her. It was a pity, he said to himself,
that their marriage should have been so delayed; she had acted
foolishly in that, certainly, had not known him, had not understood
his character, or appreciated his affection; but, nevertheless, he
might have borne it better. He felt that he had been stern, almost
savage to her; that he had resented her refusal to marry him at once
too violently: he threw heavy blame on himself. But through all this,
he still felt that they could not now marry. Was it not clear to him
that Caroline would be delighted to escape from her engagement if the
way to do so were opened to her?

He lost no time in carrying out his plans. By an early train on the
following day he went down to Littlebath, and at once went to his
father's lodgings. For Sir Lionel, in order that he might be near
his dear daughter, was still living in Littlebath. He had entered
the second, or lighter fast set, played a good deal at cards, might
constantly be seen walking up and down the assembly-rooms, and did
something in horse-flesh.

George first went to his father's lodgings, and found him still
in bed. The lighter fast set at Littlebath do not generally get
up early, and Sir Lionel professed that he ha