er--Neil, isn't it?--likes to come with me, we might interview him
together. He gets home by half-past five, as a rule."

She looked coquettishly at the Hermit, who was immediately seized with a
paroxysm of embarrassment, twitched nervous fingers, and looked as
supremely miserable as if his last hour had come. With the energy of
despair he managed to blurt out a few words to the effect
that--"Stephen--Mr Charrington--home presently--like to be present.
After dinner, perhaps--could go together if Miss Caldecott kindly--left
address."

"Well, _he_ doesn't know how to flirt!" Minnie exclaimed blightingly
five minutes later as she and Hope stood in the little hall for a few
parting words. "Can't understand a man like that. No patience with him
either. No relation of yours, I hope, dear?"

"None whatever; but, oh Minnie, you should not want to flirt when you
are engaged! I do hope you are not going to be married just because you
are tired and discouraged and need a rest. I do trust you are not
making a mistake," cried Hope earnestly. "Are you quite sure you care
for hint, and can be happy?"

Miss Caldecott laughed lightly. "My dear," she said, "if I look thirty
in my best new veil, it is more than time I was married. And I am so
tired of paying my own bills! Jack is very well off, and I intend to
make his money fly. It will be a new experience to spend money that
some one else has earned." She paused, looked for a moment into Hope's
wistful face, and added impulsively, "If you will promise faithfully
never to tell Jack if you should meet him, I'll let you into a secret.
I'm frightfully happy! I've been in love with him for years. It was
difficult to make up my mind when I had been my own mistress for so
long, but now that I _have_ given in, I wouldn't go back for the world.
It is nice to be loved and taken care of--far nicer than being
independent. You will find that out for yourself some day soon."

"Dear Minnie, I am so glad! I do congratulate you with all my heart;
and `Jack' too. You will make such a nice, cheerful, good-tempered
wife!" cried Hope bravely; whereat Miss Minnie indulged in an
elephantine byplay of bashfulness, and ran rustling down the staircase.

"An appalling woman!" the Hermit was reiterating in the drawing-room;
but none of the sisters would agree with this denunciation.

"She doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve; neither do we," maintained
Hope. "She is ever so much nicer wh