n the
trousseau for which (but without her knowledge) lavish orders had been
given.

Poor Mrs. Craigie could scarcely believe her ears. For a daughter to
run counter to the wishes of her mother, and to snap her fingers at
the chance of marrying a "title," was something she had considered
impossible. What on earth were girls coming to, she wondered. Either
the Paris "finishing school" or the Bath air had gone to her head. The
times were out of joint, and the theory that daughters did what they
were told was being rudely upset. It was all very disturbing.

In her astonishment and annoyance, Mrs. Craigie took to her bed.
However, she did not stop there long, for prompt measures had to be
adopted. As it was useless to tackle Sir Jasper Nicolls (whom she held
responsible for the upset to her plans) she sought counsel of somebody
else. This was her military friend, who, as luck would have it, was
still lingering in Bath, where he had evidently discovered some
special attraction. After all, he was a "man of the world" and would
know what to do. Accordingly, she summoned him to a consultation, and
unburdened her mind on the subject of Lola's "oddness."

"Of course, the girl's mad," she declared. "Nothing else would account
for it. Can you imagine any girl in her senses turning up her nose at
such a match? I never heard such rubbish. I'm sure I don't know what
Sir Abraham will say. He expects her to join him in Calcutta by the
end of the year. As a matter of fact, I've already booked her passage.
The wedding is to be from our house there. Something will have to be
done. The question is, what?"

"Leave it to me," was the airy response. "I'll talk to her."

Thomas James did "talk." He talked to some effect, but not at all in
the fashion Mrs. Craigie had intended. Expressing sympathy with Lola,
he declared himself entirely on her side. She was much too young and
pretty and attractive, he said, to dream for an instant of marrying a
man who was old enough to be her grandfather, and bury herself in
India. The idea was ridiculous. He had a much better plan to offer.
When Lola, smiling through her tears, asked him what it was, he said
that she must run away with him and they would get married. Thus the
problem of her future would be solved automatically.

The luxuriant whiskers and dashing air of Lieutenant Thomas James did
their work. Further, the suggestion was just the sort of thing that
happened to heroines in novels. Lola Gi