nd ears in love with sport and frolic, no unholy thought had
ever polluted her mind. That men were men, and that she was a woman,
had of course been considered by her. Oh, that it might some day be her
privilege to love some man with all her heart and all her strength,
some man who should be, at any rate to her, the very hero of heroes,
the cynosure of her world! It was thus that she considered the matter.
There could surely nothing be so glorious as being well in love. And
the one to be thus worshipped must of course become her husband.
Otherwise would her heart be broken, and perhaps his,--and all would be
tragedy. But with tragedy she had no sympathy. The loved one must
become her husband. But the pictures she had made to herself of him
were not at all like Lord George Germain. He was to be fair, with
laughing eyes, quick in repartee, always riding well to hounds. She had
longed to hunt herself, but her father had objected. He must be sharp
enough sometimes to others, though ever soft to her, with a silken
moustache and a dimpled chin, and perhaps twenty-four years old. Lord
George was dark, his eyes never laughed; he was silent generally, and
never went out hunting at all. He was dignified, and tall, very
handsome, no doubt,--and a lord. The grand question was that;--could
she love him? Could she make another picture, and paint him as her
hero? There were doubtless heroic points in the side wave of that
coal-black lock,--coal-black where the few grey hairs had not yet shown
themselves, in his great height, and solemn polished manners.

When her lover came, she could only remember that if she accepted him
she would please everybody. The Dean had taken occasion to assure her
that the ladies at Manor Cross would receive her with open arms. But on
this occasion she did not accept him. She was very silent, hardly able
to speak a word, and almost sinking out of sight when Lord George
endeavoured to press his suit by taking her hand. But she contrived at
last to make him the very answer that Adelaide De Baron had made. She
must take time to think of it. But the answer came from her in a
different spirit. She at any rate knew as soon as it was given that it
was her destiny in life to become Lady George Germain. She did not say
"Yes" at the moment, only because it is so hard for a girl to tell a
man that she will marry him at the first asking! He made his second
offer by letter, to which the Dean wrote the reply:--

"M