not ask him, you may be sure of that."

"It comes to the same thing, Imogene."

"Very likely. It often happens that ladies mean that to be expressed
which it does not become them to say out loud. So it may be with me
on this occasion. Nevertheless, the word, if it have to be spoken,
will have to be spoken by him. What I want you to do now is to let me
have the drawing-room alone at three o'clock on Sunday. If anything
has to be said it will have to be said without witnesses."

With some difficulty Mrs. Docimer was induced to accede to the
request, and to promise that, at any rate for the present, nothing
should be said to her husband on the subject.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

CAPTAIN BATSBY.

In the meantime, poor Ayala, whose days were running on in a very
melancholy manner under her aunt's wings in Kingsbury Crescent, was
creating further havoc and disturbing the bosom of another lover. At
Stalham she had met a certain Captain Batsby, and had there attracted
his attention. Captain Batsby had begged her to ride with him on one
of those hunting-days, and had offered to give her a lead,--having
been at the moment particularly jealous of Colonel Stubbs. On that
day both Ayala and Nina had achieved great honour;--but this, to the
great satisfaction of Captain Batsby, had not been achieved under the
leadership of Colonel Stubbs. Larry Twentyman, long famous among the
riding-men of the Ufford and Rufford United Hunt, had been the hero
of the hour. Thus Captain Batsby's feelings had been spared, and
after that he had imagined that any kindly feelings which Ayala might
have had for the Colonel had sunk into abeyance. Then he had sought
some opportunity to push himself into Ayala's favour, but hitherto
his success in that direction had not been great.

Captain Batsby was regarded by the inhabitants of Stalham as a
nuisance,--but as a nuisance which could not be avoided. He was
half-brother to Sir Harry, whose mother had married, as her second
husband, a certain opulent Mr. Batsby out of Lancashire. They were
both dead now, and nothing of them remained but this Captain. He
was good-natured, simple, and rich, and in the arrangement of the
Albury-cum-Batsby affairs, which took place after the death of Mrs.
Batsby, made himself pleasant to everybody concerned. Sir Harry, who
certainly had no particular affection for his half-brother, always
bore with him on this account; and Lady Albury was equally gracious,
mindful of the w