which no one heard me whisper to James
for. I think those little citron buns are nicer than a great cake like
Mrs. Thursby's; and hers are always so black and overbaked. That is why
the cook sifts such a lot of sugar over them. I do think one should be
real, and not try to cover up things. And Mr. Dare so pleasant. Quite
sorry to go he seemed. I often wonder whether it will be you or Mabel in
the end. He ought to be making up his mind. I expect I shall have a
little joke with him about it before long. And such an interest he took
in the scrap-book. I asked him to come again to-morrow."

"I don't expect he will be able to do so," said Mr. Alwynn. "I rather
think he will have to go to town on business."

Later in the evening, Mr. Alwynn told Ruth that in the course of his
interview he had found that Dare had the very vaguest ideas as to the
necessity of settlements; had evidently never given the subject a
thought, and did not even know what he actually possessed.

Mr. Alwynn was secretly afraid of what Ruth's trustee, his brother, Lord
Polesworth (now absent shooting in the Rocky Mountains), would say if,
during his absence, their niece was allowed to engage herself without
suitable provision; and he begged Ruth not "to do anything rash" in the
way of speaking of her engagement, until Dare could, with the help of
his lawyer, see his way to making some arrangement.

"I know he has no money," said Ruth, quietly; "that is one of the
reasons why I am going to marry him."

Mr. Alwynn, to whom this seemed the most natural reason in the world,
was not sure whether it would strike his brother with equal force. He
had a suspicion that when Lord Polesworth's attention should be turned
from white goats and brown bears to the fact that his niece, who had
means of her own, had been allowed to engage herself to a poor man, and
that Mr. Alwynn had greatly encouraged the match, unpleasant questions
might be asked.

"Francis will be back in November," said Mr. Alwynn. "I think, Ruth, we
had better wait till his return before we do anything definite."

"Anything _more_ definite, you mean," said Ruth. "I have been very
definite already, I think. I shall be glad to wait till he comes back,
if you wish it, Uncle John. I shall try to do what you both advise. But
at the same time I am of age; and if my word is worth anything, you know
I have given that already."

Dare felt no call to go to London by the early train on the following
mor