was absolutely necessary,' she continued. 'I have, in
fact, grown so homely and home-loving, I am so interested in the place
and the people here, that, in spite of advice, I have almost determined
not to let the house; but to continue the less business-like but
pleasanter alternative of living humbly in a part of it, and shutting up
the rest.'

'Your love of astronomy is getting as strong as mine!' he said ardently.
'You could not tear yourself away from the observatory!'

'You might have supposed me capable of a little human feeling as well as
scientific, in connection with the observatory.'

'Dear Lady Constantine, by admitting that your astronomer has also a part
of your interest--'

'Ah, you did not find it out without my telling!' she said, with a
playfulness which was scarcely playful, a new accession of pinkness being
visible in her face. 'I diminish myself in your esteem by reminding
you.'

'You might do anything in this world without diminishing yourself in my
esteem, after the goodness you have shown. And more than that, no
misrepresentation, no rumour, no damning appearance whatever would ever
shake my loyalty to you.'

'But you put a very matter-of-fact construction on my motives sometimes.
You see me in such a hard light that I have to drop hints in quite a
manoeuvring manner to let you know I am as sympathetic as other people. I
sometimes think you would rather have me die than have your equatorial
stolen. Confess that your admiration for me was based on my house and
position in the county! Now I am shorn of all that glory, such as it
was, and am a widow, and am poorer than my tenants, and can no longer buy
telescopes, and am unable, from the narrowness of my circumstances, to
mix in circles that people formerly said I adorned, I fear I have lost
the little hold I once had over you.'

'You are as unjust now as you have been generous hitherto,' said St.
Cleeve, with tears in his eyes at the gentle banter of the lady, which
he, poor innocent, read as her real opinions. Seizing her hand he
continued, in tones between reproach and anger, 'I swear to you that I
have but two devotions, two thoughts, two hopes, and two blessings in
this world, and that one of them is yourself!'

'And the other?'

'The pursuit of astronomy.'

'And astronomy stands first.'

'I have never ordinated two such dissimilar ideas. And why should you
deplore your altered circumstances, my dear lady? Your widowhood, i