s. "I am so sorry to cost you so much money, Uncle Reginald,"
she said.

"It will not be very much, my dear," he answered. "It is hard that
young people should not have some amusement. I only hope they will
make you happy at Stalham."

"They always make people happy at Stalham," said Ayala,
energetically.

"And now, Ayala," said her aunt, "you can write your letter to Lady
Albury before we go out to-morrow. Give her my compliments, and tell
her that as you are writing I need not trouble her."

Ayala, when she was alone in her bedroom, felt almost horrified as
she reflected that in this manner the question had been settled for
her. It had been impossible for her to reject her uncle's liberal
offer when it had been made. She could not find the courage at that
moment to say that she had thought better of it all, and would
decline the visit. Before she was well aware of what she was doing
she had assented, and had thus, as it were, thrown over all the
creations of her dream. And yet, as she declared herself, not even
Lady Albury could make her marry this man, merely because she was
at her house. She thought that, if she could only avoid that first
journey with Colonel Stubbs in the railway, still she might hold her
own. But, were she to travel with him of her own accord, would it not
be felt that she would be wilfully throwing herself in his way? Then
she made a little plan for herself, which she attempted to carry out
when writing her letter to Lady Albury on the following morning. What
was the nature of her plan, and how she effected it, will be seen in
the letter which she wrote;--

Kingsbury Crescent, Thursday.

DEAR LADY ALBURY,

It is so very good of you to ask me again, and I shall
be so happy to visit Stalham once more! I should have
been very sorry not to see dear Nina before her return to
Italy. I have written to congratulate her of course, and
have told her what a happy girl I think she is. Though
I have not seen Lord George I take all that from her
description. As she is going to be his wife immediately,
I don't at all see why he should not go back with her to
Rome. As for being married by the Pope, I don't think he
ever does anything so useful as that. I believe he sits
all day and has his toe kissed. That is what they told me
at Rome.

I am very glad of what you tell me about the certain
gentleman, because I don't think I could have been happy