roline. Mr. Glascock almost thought that she must have intended to
address him.

They sat there discussing the matter for some time through the long,
cool, evening hours, but nothing could be settled further,--except
that Nora would write to her friend as soon as her affairs had begun
to shape themselves after her return to England. At last Caroline
went into the house, and for a few minutes Mr. Glascock was alone
with Nora. He had remained, determining that the moment should come,
but now that it was there he was for awhile unable to say the words
that he wished to utter. At last he spoke. "Miss Rowley, Caroline is
so eager to be your friend."

"I know she is, and I do love her so dearly. But, without joke, Mr.
Glascock, there will be as it were a great gulf between us."

"I do not know that there need be any gulf, great or little. But
I did not mean to allude to that. What I want to say is this. My
feelings are not a bit less warm or sincere than hers. You know of
old that I am not very good at expressing myself."

"I know nothing of the kind."

"There is no such gulf as what you speak of. All that is mostly
gone by, and a nobleman in England, though he has advantages as a
gentleman, is no more than a gentleman. But that has nothing to
do with what I am saying now. I shall never forget my journey to
Devonshire. I won't pretend to say now that I regret its result."

"I am quite sure you don't."

"No; I do not;--though I thought then that I should regret it always.
But remember this, Miss Rowley,--that you can never ask me to do
anything that I will not, if possible, do for you. You are in some
little difficulty now."

"It will disappear, Mr. Glascock. Difficulties always do."

"But we will do anything that we are wanted to do; and should a
certain event take place--"

"It will take place some day."

"Then I hope that we may be able to make Mr. Stanbury and his wife
quite at home at Monkhams." After that he took Nora's hand and kissed
it, and at that moment Caroline came back to them.

"To-morrow, Mr. Glascock," she said, "you will, I believe, be at
liberty to kiss everybody; but to-day you should be more discreet."

It was generally admitted among the various legations in Florence
that there had not been such a wedding in the City of Flowers since
it had become the capital of Italia. Mr. Glascock and Miss Spalding
were married in the chapel of the legation,--a legation chapel on the
ground floor having