ing as love in the world. While
there was so much to fill her heart, how could there be thoughts
of anything else? But Jonathan,--he was Jonathan to her now, her
Jonathan, her Angel of Light,--was very keen upon the subject. There
was but one week left. He thought that Croppy might manage three days
as there was to be but one week. Croppy would have leisure and rest
enough afterwards. "It's a little sharp," said Sir Harry.

"Oh, pray don't," said Ayala.

But Lady Albury and Jonathan together silenced Sir Harry, and Mrs.
Gosling proved the absurdity of the objection by telling the story of
a pony who had carried a lady three days running. "I should not have
liked to be either the pony, or the owner, or the lady," said Sir
Harry. But he was silenced. What did it matter though the heavens
fell, so that Ayala was pleased? What is too much to be done for a
girl who proves herself to be an angel by accepting the right man at
the right time?

She had but one moment alone with her lover that night. "I always
loved you," she whispered to him as she fled away. The Colonel did
not quite understand the assertion, but he was contented with it as
he sat smoking his cigar with Sir Harry and Mr. Gosling.

But, though she could have but one word that night with her lover,
there were many words between her and Lady Albury before they went to
bed. "And so, like wise people, you have settled it all between you
at last," said Lady Albury.

"I don't know whether he is wise."

"We will take that for granted. At any rate he has been very true."

"Oh, yes."

"And you,--you knew all about it."

"No;--I knew nothing. I did not think he would ever ask again. I only
hoped."

"But why on earth did you give him so much trouble?"

"I can't tell you," said Ayala, shaking her head.

"Do you mean that there is still a secret?"

"No, not that. I would tell you anything that I could tell, because
you have been so very, very good to me. But I cannot tell. I cannot
explain even to myself. Oh, Lady Albury, why have you been so good to
me?"

"Shall I say because I have loved you?"

"Yes;--if it be true."

"But it is not true."

"Oh, Lady Albury!"

"I do love you dearly. I shall always love you now. I do hope I shall
love you now, because you will be his wife. But I have not been kind
to you as you call it because I loved you."

"Then why?"

"Because I loved him. Cannot you understand that? Because I was
anxious that he should have