brief
engagement, but she had ceased to desire such freedom.

She remembered sometimes with faint, unavoidable regret that Cyril's
demonstrativeness had at times wearied her; but she had no such feeling
with Michael: when he left her for a few days to complete the purchase
of a pretty little property he had secured for their future home in one
of the loveliest spots in Surrey, she was as restless during his absence
as ever Geraldine had been.

Michael was surprised to find how she had missed him, and how overjoyed
she was at his return; but he never told her so, or ever alluded to the
mistake that had doomed them both to such misery.

'My innocent darling! how could she know that I loved her, when I never
told her so? It was I who would have been to blame if she had married
Cyril. God grant that in that case she might never have found out her
mistake; but I do not know. She would always have cared too much for
Michael, and he would have found it out in time;' but he kept such
thoughts to himself.

Audrey had no objection to offer when Michael pleaded that they should
be married early in August. He had waited long enough, she knew, and
there was nothing to gain by waiting.

But she had a long talk with her mother and Geraldine about Mollie, whom
she still regarded as her special _protegee_.

'Michael has Kester,' she suggested; 'so I daresay he will not mind
Mollie sharing our home.'

'You will make a great mistake if you ask him any such question,'
returned Geraldine, in her practical, matter-of-fact way. 'Kester will
be at Oxford, and during the long vacation he will join some reading
party or other--Michael told me so; but Mollie would want a home all the
year round. Why do you not leave her at Woodcote? Mother will be
dreadfully dull without you at first, and, of course, I cannot always be
with her. You are very fond of Mollie, are you not, mother?'

'She is a dear, good child, and I should love to have her with me,' was
Mrs. Ross's reply. 'That is a clever thought of yours, my love, and
Michael certainly will want his wife to himself--men always do.'

'If you really think so, mother, and if Mollie does not mind, she shall
stay at Woodcote,' was Audrey's reply.

And when Mollie was consulted she proved quite willing to do as they all
wished.

'Of course, dear Mrs. Ross will be dull. And I know I should only be in
Captain Burnett's way,' argued Mollie, a little tearfully. 'I knew that
from the first. I