ry dread and giddiness, look into
it.

When they returned from church, and were about to sit down to the
sumptuous luncheon, he took Geraldine aside and presented his offerings.
To his surprise, she was quite overcome, and would have called her
husband to share her pleasure; but he begged her to say nothing just
then.

'Audrey has a present, too, but she took it far more calmly,' he said,
in a rallying tone. But as he spoke he wondered at his cousin's beauty.
Her complexion had always been very transparent, but now excitement had
added a soft bloom. Was it motherhood, he asked himself, that deepened
the expression of her eyes and lent her that new gentleness? 'I never
saw you look better, Gage,' he said, in quite an admiring voice; but
Geraldine was as unconscious as ever.

'I am very well,' she returned, smiling, 'only not quite as strong as
usual. It is such a pity that Percival would not allow me to invite you
to dinner, because he says that I ought to be quiet this evening. He and
mother make such a fuss over me. Percival means to take baby and me for
a change during the Easter holidays. That will be nice, will it not? I
think we shall go to Bournemouth.'

'Very nice,' he returned absently.

'I wish Audrey would go too, but I am afraid she will not leave Cyril;
he is not going away this vacation. That is the worst of a sister being
engaged, she is not half so useful.'

'I think Audrey would go with you if you asked her; she is very
unselfish.'

'Yes; but she has to think about someone else now, and I do not wish to
be hard on Cyril. He is very nice, and we all like him.'

'I am very glad to hear that, Gage.'

'Yes; we must just make the best of it. Of course, Percival and I will
always consider she is throwing herself away; but that cannot be helped
now. By the bye, Michael, this is the first time I have seen you since
you came into your fortune. I have never been able to tell you how
delighted we both were to hear of it.'

'Well, it was a pretty good haul.'

'Yes; but no one will do more with it. But you must not buy any more
diamonds;' and then she smiled on him. And just then Master Leonard made
his appearance in his long lace robe, and, as Geraldine moved to take
her boy in her arms, there was no further conversation between them.

They left soon after luncheon. Mr. Bryce had to take an early afternoon
train, and Dr. Ross accompanied him to the station. Audrey drove home
with her mother; they exp