and went away and hid herself.

CHAPTER LIV.

TOM'S LAST ATTEMPT.

While Gertrude was still away on her ill-omened voyage in quest of a
parson, Lady Tringle was stirred up to a great enterprise on behalf
of her unhappy son. There wanted now little more than a fortnight
before the starting of the ship which his father still declared
should carry him out across the world, and he had progressed so far
in contemplating the matter as to own to himself that it would be
best for him to obey his father if there was no hope. But his mind
was still swayed by a theory of love and constancy. He had heard of
men who had succeeded after a dozen times of asking. If Stubbs, the
hated but generous Stubbs, were in truth a successful rival, then
indeed the thing would be over;--then he would go, the sooner the
better; and, as he told his mother half-a-dozen times a day, it would
matter nothing to him whether he were sent to Japan, or the Rocky
Mountains, or the North Pole. In such case he would be quite content
to go, if only for the sake of going. But how was he to be sure? He
was, indeed, nearly sure in the other direction. If Ayala were in
truth engaged to Colonel Stubbs it would certainly be known through
Lucy. Then he had heard, through Lucy, that, though Ayala was staying
at Stalham, the Colonel was not there. He had gone, and Ayala had
remained week after week without him. Then, towards the end of March,
he wrote a letter to his Uncle Reginald, which was very piteous in
its tone;--

"DEAR UNCLE REGINALD," the letter said,

I don't know whether you have heard of it, but I have
been very ill--and unhappy. I am now in bed, and nobody
here knows that I am sending this letter to you. It is
all about Ayala, and I am not such a fool as to suppose
that you can do anything for me. If you could I think
you would,--but of course you can't. She must choose for
herself,--only I do so wish that she should choose me.
Nobody would ever be more kind to her. But you can tell
me really how it is. Is she engaged to marry Colonel
Stubbs? I know that she refused him, because he told me
so himself. If she is not engaged to him I think that
I would have another shy at it. You know what the poet
says,--"Faint heart never won fair lady." Do tell me if
she is or is not engaged. I know that she is with those
Alburys, and that Colonel Stubbs is their friend. But
they can't make her marry Colon