"No," he replied; "I am tired of proposing."

"Well, I don't think she would accept you," said Lady Fitzharford, "she

has had the most wonderful offers; she has refused Lord Edwin, the

Bannerdales' son and heir, and, I believe, the Duke of Glarn--"

"I know, I know!" said Howard, more quickly than usual. "I can hear her

on the stairs. Oh, vanish, my dear lady, an' you love me!"

Lady Fitzharford had scarcely left the room, laughing, and not a little

puzzled, before the servant admitted Ida. She was pale, and the look of

sadness in her eyes was even more palpable than on the preceding night.

She blushed for an instant as she gave her hand to Howard.

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"Lady Fitzharford has gone to get her music, Miss Heron," he said; "she

bade me make her excuses; she will be here presently. It is so good of

you to remember our appointment! When I came to think it over, I was

quite ashamed, do you know, at the obtrusive way in which I pressed the

subject of my friend, Lord Highcliffe's condition, upon you. But mind,

though, I do think you would feel interested in his letter. He has a

knack, unintellectual as he is"--Ida rose readily to the fly again and

flashed a momentary glance of indignation at him from her violet

eyes--"a child-like way of describing scenes and incidents in a kind of

graphic style which--What an idiot I am!" he broke off to exclaim, he

had been feeling in his pocket; "I have actually left the letter at

home! Please forgive me. But perhaps you will regard my lapse of memory

as affording you a happy escape."

Ida's lips trembled and her eyes became downcast. Disappointment was

eloquently depicted on her face.

"No, I am sorry," she said. "I--I should have liked to have seen the

letter."

"Would you really?" he purred, penitently, as she turned away to the

window. "Then I will go and get it; my rooms are only a short

distance."

"Oh, pray, don't trouble," she said, so faintly that Howard found it

difficult not to smile.

"Not at all," he said, politely, and left the room.

As he went down the stairs he glanced at his watch, and muttered: "Now, if the young idiot isn't up to time--"

At that moment there was a knock at the hall-door, the servant opened

it, and Stafford entered with a gloomy countenance and a reluctant

gait.




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