sions,' he said. 'I know you will tell me when I may come. I
mean to be guided entirely by you. Under these circumstances a man is
tempted to be selfish.'

'You will never be selfish,' she said, with one of her charming smiles.
'I could never have promised to marry a selfish man. But, Cyril, you
will be guided by me in that other thing?' changing her tone, and
looking at him very seriously; for they had had rather a hot argument.

Cyril was going to Peterborough the next day to buy the betrothal ring,
and Audrey had petitioned for a gold one.

'But it will only look like a wedding-guard,' he had remonstrated; for
he would rather have denied himself everything for six months, if only
he could buy something fit for her acceptance--a pearl or sapphire ring,
for example. Diamonds were beyond his means.

But Audrey could not be induced to say that she liked pearls; on the
contrary, she manifested an extraordinary preference for the idea of a
broad chased gold band, with her own and Cyril's initials inside.

'I am going to marry a poor man,' she said decidedly, 'and he must not
waste his money on me. What does it matter if it look like a guard? It
can serve that purpose afterwards. Please do not look so disappointed,
Cyril. When you can afford it, you shall give me any ring you
like--pearl or diamond; but I like diamonds best.' And she was so
evidently in earnest that he had to yield to her; and Audrey wore her
gold ring with immense satisfaction.

Audrey spent her evening quietly with her parents. She and Dr. Ross
played chess together, and when he went off to his study she stayed and
talked to her mother.

Mrs. Ross was not a lively companion that evening. The fear of
Geraldine's disapproval was quickening her latent feelings of uneasiness
into activity, and she could not keep these feelings to herself.

'I wonder if Geraldine will answer your letter this evening, Audrey?'

'I don't think so, mother dear. I am to go there to-morrow, you see, so
there will be no need for her to write.'

'I am afraid that she will be hurt because you have not gone to her
to-day; she will think it rather odd for you to write.'

'Why, mother,' opening her eyes rather widely at this, 'don't you
remember Mr. and Mrs. Bland were to lunch there? How could Gage have
given me her attention? And then, with guests to entertain, it would
never have done to run the risk of upsetting her. Percival would have
glared at us all through luncheon i