d. I don't envy Audrey's
future spouse; he will have much to bear. Audrey is too philanthropic,
too unpractical altogether, for a smooth domestic life. We are different
people, as I said before. Come, cheer up, darling. If I find it possible
to say a word in season, you may trust me to do so. Ah! there is the
dressing-bell.'

And Mr. Harcourt rose and stretched himself, and began gathering up his
papers as a hint to his wife that the subject was concluded.

Audrey was not so unreasonable as her sister supposed; she had no
intention of placing herself in direct opposition to her family--on the
contrary, she was somewhat troubled by Geraldine's chilling reception
that afternoon. Michael had stopped the carriage and informed the two
ladies of the manner in which he and Audrey had spent their afternoon.

'We have both been having tea at the Gray Cottage,' he said cheerfully.
'I hope you have spent as pleasant an afternoon, Gage. That
youngster--Kester they call him--is a bright, intelligent lad, and
Mollie is a nice child.'

'Oh, indeed!' was Geraldine's reply; 'I am afraid we are late, Michael,
and must drive on;' and then she nodded to Audrey: but there was no
pleasant smile on her face.

'Gage is put out with us both,' observed Audrey, as they turned in at
Woodcote. 'I shall be in for another lecture, Michael.'

Audrey had no wish to be a bugbear to her family. For several reasons
she thought it politic to avoid the Gray Cottage for a day or two:
Mollie must not depend on her too much. When her mother and Geraldine
had called, and Mrs. Blake was on visiting terms with them, things would
be on a pleasanter footing. She was somewhat surprised, when Sunday
came, to find Mr. Blake was the sole representative of his family in the
school chapel. She had looked for the widow and her children in the
morning, and again in the afternoon, and as she exchanged greetings with
Cyril in the courtyard after service she could not refrain from
questioning him on the subject.

'I hope Mrs. Blake has not another headache?' she asked rather abruptly
as he came up to her, looking very handsome and distinguished in his
cap and gown--and again Audrey remembered her unlucky speech about the
Greek god.

Cyril seemed a little embarrassed.

'Oh no, she is quite well, only a little tired; she has rather knocked
herself up. Kester had a touch of his old pain, so I told him not to
come.'

'And Mollie?' But Cyril did not appear to hear the