year? It
was all arranged a few days ago. Poor Mabel was strongly opposed to the
plan. She thought it was the first stage on the road to ruin; but I
think I convinced her that it was the natural thing for the owner of
Briarwood; and the Duke was warmly in favour of it."

"The dear old kennels!" said Vixen, "I have never seen them
since--since I came home. I ride by the gate very often, but I have
never had the courage to go inside. The hounds wouldn't know me now."

"You must renew your friendship with them. You will hunt, of course,
next year?"

"No, I shall never hunt again!"

"Oh, nonsense; I hear that Captain Winstanley is a mighty Nimrod--quite
a Leicestershire man. He will wish you to hunt."

"What can Captain Winstanley have to do with it?" asked Vixen, turning
sharply upon him.

"A great deal, I should imagine, by next season."

"I haven't the least idea what you mean."

It was Roderick Vawdrey's turn to look astonished. He looked both
surprised and angry.

"How fond young ladies are of making mysteries about these things," he
exclaimed impatiently; "I suppose they think it enhances their
importance. Have I made a mistake? Have my informants misled me? Is
your engagement to Captain Winstanley not to be talked about yet--only
an understood thing among your own particular friends? Let me at least
be allowed the privilege of intimate friendship. Let me be among the
first to congratulate you."

"What folly have you been listening to?" cried Vixen; "you, Roderick
Vawdrey, my old play-fellow--almost an adopted brother--to know me so
little."

"What could I know of you to prevent my believing what I was told? Was
there anything strange in the idea that you should be engaged to
Captain Winstanley? I heard that he was a universal favourite."

"And did you think that I should like a universal favourite?"

"Why should you not? It seemed credible enough, and my informant was
positive; he saw you together at a picnic in Switzerland. It was looked
upon as a settled thing by all your friends."

"By Captain Winstanley's friends, you mean. They may have looked upon
it as a settled thing that he should marry someone with plenty of
money, and they may have thought that my money would be as useful as
anyone else's."

"Violet, are you mystifying me? are you trying to drive me crazy? or is
this the simple truth?"

"It is the simple truth."

"You are not engaged to this man?--you never have been?--you don't care