ty.

"I suppose I am to have nothing to do in settling the day," said Aunt
Emmeline. It was, however, settled between them that the marriage
should take place on a certain day in May. Upon this Lucy was of
course overjoyed, and wrote to her lover in a full flow of spirits.
And she sent him the cheque, having written her name with great pride
on the back of it. There was a little trouble about this as a part of
it had to come back as her trousseau, but still the arrangement was
pleasantly made. Then Sir Thomas again became more kind to her, in
his rough manner,--even when his troubles were at the worst after
the return of Gertrude. "If it will not be altogether oppressive to
his pride you may tell him that I shall make you an allowance of a
hundred a year as my niece,--just for your personal expenses."

"I don't know that he is so proud, Uncle Tom."

"He seemed so to me. But if you say nothing to him about it, and just
buy a few gowns now and again, he will perhaps be so wrapt up in the
higher affairs of his art as not to take any notice."

"I am sure he will notice what I wear," said Lucy. However she
communicated her uncle's intentions to her lover, and he sent back
his grateful thanks to Sir Thomas. As one effect of all this the
Colonel's money was sent back to him, with an assurance that as
things were now settling themselves such pecuniary assistance was not
needed. But this was not done till Ayala had heard what the Angel of
Light had done on her sister's behalf. But as to Ayala's feelings
in that respect we must be silent here, as otherwise we should make
premature allusion to the condition in which Ayala found herself
before she had at last managed to escape from Stalham Park.

"Papa," said Gertrude, to her father one evening, "don't you think
you could do something for me too now?" Just at this time Sir Thomas,
greatly to his own annoyance, was coming down to Merle Park every
evening. According to their plans as at present arranged, they were
to stay in the country till after Easter, and then they were to go up
to town in time to despatch poor Tom upon his long journey round the
world. But poor Tom was now in bed, apparently ill, and there seemed
to be great doubt whether he could be made to go on the appointed
day in spite of the taking of his berth and the preparation of his
outfit. Tom, if well enough, was to sail on the nineteenth of April,
and there now wanted not above ten days to that time. "Don't yo