th her ideas
of having her lover all to herself. And then she again remembered
Madame Goesler's bright blue eyes.

Lord Chiltern came on Christmas eve, and was received with open arms
by his sister, and with that painful, irritating affection which
such a girl as Violet can show to such a man as Lord Chiltern, when
she will not give him that other affection for which his heart is
panting. The two men were civil to each other,--but very cold. They
called each other Kennedy and Chiltern, but even that was not done
without an effort. On the Christmas morning Mr. Kennedy asked his
brother-in-law to go to church. "It's a kind of thing I never do,"
said Lord Chiltern. Mr. Kennedy gave a little start, and looked a
look of horror. Lady Laura showed that she was unhappy. Violet
Effingham turned away her face, and smiled.

As they walked across the park Violet took Lord Chiltern's part. "He
only means that he does not go to church on Christmas day."

"I don't know what he means," said Mr. Kennedy.

"We need not speak of it," said Lady Laura.

"Certainly not," said Mr. Kennedy.

"I have been to church with him on Sundays myself," said Violet,
perhaps not reflecting that the practices of early years had little
to do with the young man's life at present.

Christmas day and the next day passed without any sign from Lord
Chiltern, and on the day after that he was to go away. But he was not
to leave till one or two in the afternoon. Not a word had been said
between the two women, since he had been in the house, on the subject
of which both of them were thinking. Very much had been said of
the expediency of his going to Saulsby, but on this matter he had
declined to make any promise. Sitting in Lady Laura's room, in the
presence of both of them, he had refused to do so. "I am bad to
drive," he said, turning to Violet, "and you had better not try to
drive me."

"Why should not you be driven as well as another?" she answered,
laughing.

CHAPTER LII

The First Blow

Lord Chiltern, though he had passed two entire days in the house with
Violet without renewing his suit, had come to Loughlinter for the
express purpose of doing so, and had his plans perfectly fixed in his
own mind. After breakfast on that last morning he was up-stairs with
his sister in her own room, and immediately made his request to her.
"Laura," he said, "go down like a good girl, and make Violet come up
here." She stood a moment looking at him and