u love him."

"Yes; I do," said Ayala.

"And now we will change the conversation. Ayala, I have got a little
present which you must take from me."

"Oh, no!" said Ayala, thinking of the diamond necklace.

"It's only a little thing,--and I hope you will." Then he brought out
from his pocket a small brooch which he had selected from his own
stock of jewelry for the occasion. "We are cousins, you know."

"Yes, we are cousins," said Ayala, accepting the brooch, but still
accepting it unwillingly.

"He must be very disdainful if he would object to such a little thing
as this," said Tom, referring to the Colonel.

"He is not at all disdainful. He will not object in the least. I am
sure of that, Tom. I will take it then, and I will wear it sometimes
as a memento that we have parted like friends,--as cousins should
do."

"Yes, as friends," said Tom, who thought that even that word was
softer to his ear than cousins. Then he took her by the hand and
looked into her face wistfully, thinking what might be the effect
if for the last and for the first time he should snatch a kiss. Had
he done so I think she would have let it pass without rebuke under
the guise of cousinship. It would have been very disagreeable;--but
then he was going away for so long a time, for so many miles! But at
the moment Mrs. Dosett came in, and Ayala was saved. "Good-bye," he
said; "good-bye," and without waiting to take the hand which his aunt
offered him he hurried out of the room, out of the house, and back
across the Gardens to Queen's Gate.

At Queen's Gate there was an early dinner, at three o'clock, at which
Sir Thomas did not appear, as he had arranged to come out of the
city and meet his son at the railway station. There were, therefore,
sitting at the board for the last time the mother and the two sisters
with the intending traveller. "Oh, Tom," said Lady Tringle, as
soon as the servant had left them together, "I do so hope you will
recover."

"Of course he will recover," said Augusta.

"Why shouldn't he recover?" asked Gertrude. "It's all in a person's
mind. If he'd only make up his mind not to think about her the thing
would be done, and there would be nothing the matter with him."

"There are twenty others, ever so much better than Ayala, would have
him to-morrow," said his mother.

"And be glad to catch him," said Gertrude. "He's not like one of
those who haven't got anything to make a wife comfortable with."

"As for Ayala,