or which
Adrien was exceedingly grateful, as he felt ashamed of having exposed
his real feelings, even to his father.

Instead, therefore, Lord Barminster endeavoured to find out the true
state of the case from his sister Penelope.

That lady, disturbed from her afternoon slumber, was inclined to be
testy. As far as she was concerned, she was very much against the idea
of Constance marrying any one, for the girl's presence saved her a great
deal of trouble in many ways; the consultations with the housekeeper,
the choosing of books, the writing of invitations, these and a hundred
other trifles which in the event of Constance's marriage would be
shifted back on to her own shoulders.

Naturally, therefore, she considered the suitor who would be less likely
to inconvenience her; and he, of course, was Adrien. For if he married
Constance, there would be, at least, some time during the year in which
she would be at Barminster, and leave Miss Penelope free to resume the
novel reading of which she was so inordinately fond. She scoffed,
therefore, at any likelihood of Lord Standon's suit, and flatly refused
to believe a word of it.

Meanwhile, Adrien was in a state of restless excitement, for which he
himself could scarcely account, and accordingly he determined to return
to London next day.

That night they were a family party of four, and Lady Constance noticed
that her guardian's manner was considerably more cheerful than was its
wont, and that during dinner he glanced with even more affection than
usual at the handsome face of his only son. Afterwards, when the old man
had returned to his own apartments, Adrien found his cousin in the
silver drawing-room, with Miss Penelope. The latter had taken up her
latest novel, and was devouring it with rapt attention.

Lady Constance, with a smile, beckoned to her cousin and made room for
him beside her on the Chesterfield. He sank down with a sigh of content.

"You leave us to-morrow then?" she began, in a tone of calm inquiry.

He was filled with an insane longing to seize her in his arms, and cover
her face with kisses; but he restrained himself, though he bent nearer
to her as he said in a low voice:

"Yes, I am going back to try and put my affairs in better order. My
father has been pulling me up--quite rightly, of course. I ought to have
seen to these things before. I am afraid I have not been a good son to
him."

"You do not see him very often, do you?" said Lady Con