ned with
doubts as to the result of his wooing, and so the one necessary grain of
uncertainty only gave flavor to the whole affair.

A few hours after his arrival he left the house to try his fortune.

"I may not be home until late," he said to Bulchester. "I shall tackle
pater-familias first, then the young lady herself. It is possible they
will invite me to tea, you know. Don't wait for me if you find anything
to do or anywhere to go in this puritanical hole." And the young man, in
all the tasteful splendor of attire that the times allowed, closed the
door behind him and left Lord Bulchester looking at the oaken panels
which had suddenly taken the place in which his friend had been
standing, and seeing, not these, but Edmonson's fine figure and his bold
smile.

"No woman can resist his wooing," the nobleman said to himself with a
sigh at the thought of his own indifferent appearance. Therefore it was
with amazement that two hours later coming home from a stroll he learned
that the other had returned, and going to his room found him prone on
the sofa.

"Why! What is the--," he began, then checked himself, considering that
since only failure could be the matter, this was hardly a generous
question.

"Headache," growled Edmonson. "No," he cried with an oath, "that is a
lie," and springing up, turned blood-shot eyes upon his companion. "I am
mad, Bulchester," he cried, "raving mad. It is all over with me in that
quarter."

"She has refused you? Or the father has?"

"Hang it! they couldn't do anything else, either of them. I did not see
Mistress Royal, Mistress Archdale, rather. Yes, married!" as Bulchester
echoed the name. "There's been an interesting drama with one knave and
two fools. If I could only catch the knave! Perhaps it is as well to let
the fools go, since I can't help it." He was silent a moment. Then after
a moment he added. "Well! what is the use of cursing one's luck?" "There
are several others I know of doing the same thing at this moment, and I
like to be original. I declare, if he didn't stand in my way, I should
be tempted to pity young Archdale. He wishes himself in my shoes as
much, and I suspect a good deal more, than I do myself in his. I don't
wonder that the young lady keeps herself retired for a time. I did not
see her, as I told you. Mr. Royal made as light of the matter as
possible, merely saying that something which might prove to have been a
real marriage ceremony, though he thought