low voice.

"How lovely she is!" Miss Adair murmured to her sister-in-law. "She
ought to marry well, Caroline."

"I hope so," said Lady Caroline, placidly. "But I always think that
Margaret will be difficult to satisfy." It was not her _role_ to confide
in her husband's sisters, of all people in the world.

"We heard something about Sir Philip Ashley: was there anything in it?"

Lady Caroline smiled. "I should have thought him everything that was
desirable," she said, "but Margaret did not seem to see it in that
light. Poor dear Sir Philip was very much upset."

"Ah, well, she may do better!"

"Perhaps so. Of course we should never think of forcing the dear child's
inclinations," said Lady Caroline.

And yet she was conscious that she had laid her hand on a weapon with
which she meant to beat down Margaret's inclinations to the ground. But
it was natural to her to talk prettily.

Wheels were heard at that moment coming up the drive. Lady Caroline,
raising her eyes, saw that Margaret started as the sound fell upon her
ear.

"A bad sign!" she said to herself. "Girls do not start and change color
when nothing is wrong. Margaret used not to be nervous. I wonder how far
that man went with her. She may be unconscious of his intentions--he may
not have any; and then she will have been made conspicuous for nothing!
I wish the Brands had stayed away for another year or two."

The sound of wheels had proceeded from a dog-cart in which Mr. Adair,
after an absence of a fortnight, was driving from the station. In a very
few minutes he had crossed the lawn, greeted his wife, sisters and
daughter, and thrown himself lazily into a luxurious lounging-chair.

"Ah, this is delightful!" he said. "London is terribly smoky and grimy
at this time of year. And you all look charming--and so exactly the same
as ever! Nothing changes down here, does it, my Pearl?"

He was stroking Margaret's hand, which lay upon his knee, as he spoke.
The girl colored and dropped her eyes.

"Changes must come to us all," she said, in a low voice.

"A very trite remark, my dear," said Lady Caroline, smiling, "but we
need not anticipate changes _before_ they come. We are just as we were
when you went away, Reginald, and nothing at all has happened."

She thought that Margaret looked at her oddly, but she did not care to
meet her daughter's eyes just then. Lady Caroline was not an unworldly
woman, not a very conscientious one, or apt to set a great