ought, at least, to have suspected that these fellows are
always on the lookout for such a chance as this. Now I suppose you 'll
laugh at me for the confession, but my attention was entirely engaged by
watching our Irish friend."

"The great O'Shea!" exclaimed Mrs. Morris, laughing.

"And to tell you the truth, I never could exactly satisfy myself
whether he came here to ogle my ward, or win Charley's half-crowns at
billiards."

"I imagine, if you asked him, he 'd say he was in for the 'double
event,'" said she, with a laugh.

"And, then, Mrs. Morris," added he, with a sly smile, "if I must be
candid, I fancied, or thought I fancied, his attentions had another
object."

"Towards me!" said she, calmly, but in an accent as honest, as frank,
and as free from all concern as though speaking of a third person. "Oh,
that is quite true. Mr. Layton also made his little quiet love to me as
college men do it, and I accepted the homage of both, feeling that I
was a sort of lightning-conductor that might rescue the rest of the
building."

Sir William laughed as much at the arch quietness of her manner as her
words. "How blind I have been all this time!" burst he in, angrily,
as he reverted to the subject of his chagrin. "I suppose there's not
another man living would not have seen this but myself."

"No, no," said she, gently; "men are never nice observers in these
matters."

"Well, better late than never, eh, Mrs. Morris? Better to know it even
now. Forewarned,--as the adage says,--eh?"

In these little broken sentences he sought to comfort himself, while
he angled for some consolation from his companion; but she gave him
none,--not a word, nor a look, nor a gesture.

"Of course I shall forbid him the house."

"And make a hero of him from that moment, and a martyr of her," quietly
replied she. "By such a measure as this you would at once convert what
may be possibly a passing flirtation into a case of love."

"So that I am to leave the course free, and give him every opportunity
to prosecute his suit?"

"Not exactly. But do not erect barriers just high enough to be
surmounted. Let him come here just as usual, and I will try if I
cannot entangle him in a little serious flirtation with myself, which
certainly, if it succeed, will wound May's pride, and cure her of any
weakness for him."

Sir William made no reply, but he stared at the speaker with a sort of
humorous astonishment, and somehow her cheek flushed unde