ng impatient, went in search of her. He entered the
boudoir, and, to his surprise, found Lady Winsleigh there quite alone.

"Where is Thelma?" he demanded.

"She seems not very well--a slight headache or something of that
sort--and has gone to lie down," replied Lady Winsleigh, with a faint
trace of embarrassment in her manner. "I think the heat has been too
much for her."

"I'll go and see after her,"--and he turned promptly to leave the room.

"Sir Philip!" called Lady Winsleigh. He paused and looked back.

"Stay one moment," continued her ladyship softly. "I have been for a
long time so very anxious to say something to you in private. Please let
me speak now. You--you know"--here she cast down her lustrous
eyes--"before you went to Norway I--I was very foolish--"

"Pray do not recall it," he said with kindly gravity "_I_ have forgotten
it."

"That is so good of you!" and a flush of color warmed her delicate
cheeks. "For if you have forgotten, you have also forgiven?"

"Entirely!" answered Errington,--and touched by her plaintive,
self-reproachful manner and trembling voice, he went up to her and took
her hands in his own. "Don't think of the past, Clara! Perhaps I also
was to blame a little--I'm quite willing to think I was. Flirtation's a
dangerous amusement at best." He paused as he saw two bright tears on
her long, silky lashes, and in his heart felt a sort of remorse that he
had ever permitted himself to think badly of her. "We are the best of
friends now, Clara," he continued cheerfully, "and I hope we may always
remain so. You can't imagine how glad I am that you love my Thelma!"

"Who would not love her!" sighed Lady Winsleigh gently, as Sir Philip
released her hands from his warm clasp,--then raising her tearful eyes
to his she added wistfully, "You must take great care of her,
Philip--she is so sensitive,--I always fancy an unkind word would kill
her."

"She'll never hear one from me!" he returned, with so tender and earnest
a look on his face, that Lady Winsleigh's heart ached for jealousy. "I
must really go and see how she is. She's been exerting herself too much
to-day. Excuse me!" and with a courteous smile and bow he left the room
with a hurried and eager step.

Alone, Lady Winsleigh smiled bitterly. "Men are all alike!" she said
half aloud. "Who would think he was such a hypocrite? Fancy his dividing
his affection between two such contrasts as Thelma and Violet Vere!
However, there's no ac