urself?'

'Oh, immensely! I waltzed twice with Cyril. Do you know, he dances
splendidly--he was certainly my best partner.'

'Yes; he looks as though he would dance well. Would you believe it,
Audrey, that when I was a youngster I was considered a good dancer, too?
It is rather droll to remember that now.'

'I can very easily believe it--you do everything well, Michael.'

'Pshaw!' And then Michael added, with a pretended yawn: 'I think I could
sleep well, though.'

But Audrey refused to take this very broad hint.

'What a hurry you are in! And I have not warmed myself yet. Do stay a
little longer, Michael. I so seldom get you to myself.'

'But it is very late,' he returned, unwilling to yield.

'I will only keep you a few minutes,' she replied eagerly; 'but I want
to tell you something.'

Then he was obliged to sit down again.

'What is it?' he asked a little languidly, for the spell of her presence
was so strong that it threatened to subjugate him. He was never
willingly alone with her now. The fear was always upon him that, in some
weak moment, he might betray himself. The fear was an idle one--no man
was less likely than Michael to lose his self-control; but,
nevertheless, it was there.

'It is about Cyril,' she returned softly. 'Dr. Charrington has been so
nice to him to-night. He stood out once during the Lancers, and Dr.
Charrington came up to him, and they had quite a long talk together. He
said father had been speaking to him, and that he had quite made up his
mind that Cyril should be in the upper school next year, when Mr.
Hanbury left. It would be a better position, and he would be able to
have private pupils. And he as good as told him that he would do his
best to push him, for father's sake.'

'Blake must have been very pleased at this,' replied Michael; but he
spoke in a dull, monotonous way.

'Yes; he is quite excited. Don't you see,' she continued a little shyly,
'it will make all the difference to us if Dr. Charrington pushes Cyril;
for of course it will make it possible for him to marry.'

Then Michael felt as though he had accidentally touched a full-charged
battery. He waited until the numb, tingling sensation had left him
before he answered her.

'I did not know that you wished to shorten your engagement,' he said
very quietly; 'I understood that there would be no talk of settling for
the next two or three years; but, of course, if your father has no
objection----'

'How you tal