s desirous of bringing back Mr.
Houston into the bosom of the Tringles. It instigated Gertrude to
another attempt,--which, however, she did not make till Captain
Batsby had been away from her for at least four days without writing
a letter. Then it occurred to her that if she had a preference it
certainly was for Frank Houston. No doubt the general desirability of
marriage was her chief actuating motive. Will the world of British
young ladies be much scandalised if I say that such is often an
actuating motive? They would be justly scandalised if I pretended
that many of its members were capable of the speedy transitions which
Miss Tringle was strong enough to endure; but transitions do take
place, and I claim, on behalf of my young lady, that she should be
regarded as more strong-minded and more determined than the general
crowd of young ladies. She had thought herself to be off with the old
love before she was on with the new. Then the "new" had gone away to
Brussels,--or heaven only knows where,--and there seemed to be an
opportunity of renewing matters with the "old." Having perceived the
desirability of matrimony, she simply carried out her purpose with
a determined will. It was with a determined will, but perhaps with
deficient judgment, that she had written as follows:

"Papa has altered his mind altogether. He speaks of you in the
highest terms, and says that had you persevered he would have yielded
about the money. Do try him again. When hearts have been united it is
terrible that they should be dragged asunder." Mr. Traffick had been
quite right in telling his father-in-law that "the thing had been
talked about everywhere." The thing talked about had been Gertrude's
elopement. The daughter of a baronet and a millionaire cannot go off
with the half-brother of another baronet and escape that penalty. The
journey to Ostend was in everybody's mouth, and had surprised Frank
Houston the more because of the recent termination of his own little
affair with the lady. That he should already have re-accommodated
himself with Imogene was intelligible to him, and seemed to admit of
valid excuse before any jury of matrons. It was an old affair, and
the love,--real, true love,--was already existing. He, at any rate,
was going back to the better course,--as the jury of matrons would
have admitted. But Gertrude's new affair had had to be arranged
from the beginning, and shocked him by its celerity. "Already!"
he had said to hi