d for him!" Lady Cinnamond's regret was not
unmixed with indignation. "When you thought he was dead, you said----"

It was Honour's turn to be indignant. "I said I couldn't tell, mamma.
And I don't like him as much now as I did when I thought he was dead."

"These poor young men!" lamented her mother. "Then is the unfortunate
Mr Gerrard to be made happy at last? Or is it some one else?"

"It isn't any one!" cried Honour hotly. "Is it my fault if they will
want to marry me? I am sure I have made it clear to them over and over
again that I don't want to marry anybody."

"My child, that is a thing that nothing will make clear to a man," said
her mother solemnly--"especially when it is plain that you take
pleasure in his society."

"But I don't. Mamma, I never told you, but long ago, more than a year,
I lent _Sintram_ to Mr Charteris, without telling him how fond I was of
it. He gave it back to me all smelling of smoke, and said that he
couldn't make head or tail of it, but it struck him as uncommon silly."

"But, my dear, surely that ought to have warned you that your tastes
were not congenial. What can have made you think your feelings had
changed?"

"Oh, mamma, I don't know." Honour paused for a moment, then hurried
on. "One doesn't remember that kind of thing when a person is dead,
you know. And there seemed to be so many nice points about him that I
had never guessed----"

"But which Mr Gerrard brought out? Well, your objection can't
apply----" Lady Cinnamond broke off hastily. "I won't worry you any
more to-night, dear."

"Good-night, mamma. I am sorry I was cross."

Lady Cinnamond left her reluctantly, for the rest of the family were on
the tiptoe of expectation to hear what had happened, and she had
earnestly hoped to be able to silence their jeers with the announcement
that Honour was engaged like other people.

"Well, mamma, is he coming to see papa in the morning?" demanded Mrs
Cowper eagerly, as soon as her mother appeared.

"No, dear; I am sorry to say she has refused him again."

"Fastidious little puss!" chuckled Sir Arthur. "Faith! it'll be the
other that will come to-morrow."

"Isn't Honour a queer quizzical sort of girl?" inquired Mrs Cowper
earnestly of her parents. "Do you think she will accept Mr Gerrard,
mamma?"

"My dear, I am afraid to say, but I should fear not."

"Why should she, if she don't want him?" said Sir Arthur briskly.
"Rosita, I don't like to see thi