before. Now he could walk his room in the May dawn, and think of her,
and only of her. With all the activity of his quickened mental state, he
threw himself into the future--their rides together--their meetings, few
and measured till the schools were done--then!--all the hours of life,
and a man's most obstinate effort, spent in the winning of her. He knew
well that she would be difficult to win.

But he meant to win her--and before others could seriously approach her.
He was already nervously jealous of Sorell--and contemptuously jealous
of Radowitz. And if they could torment him so, what would it be when
Constance passed into that larger world of society to which sooner or
later she was bound? No, she was to be wooed and married now. The
Falloden custom was to marry early--and a good custom too. His father
would approve, and money from the estate would of course be forthcoming.
Constance was on her father's side extremely well-born; the Hooper blood
would soon be lost sight of in a Risborough and Falloden descent. She
was sufficiently endowed; and she had all the grace of person and mind
that a Falloden had a right to look for in his wife.

Marriage, then, in the autumn, when he would be twenty-four--two years
of travel--then Parliament--

On this dream he fell asleep. A brisk wind sprang up with the sunrise,
and rustled round his lightly-darkened room. One might have heard in it
the low laughter of Fortune on the watch.

CHAPTER V

"You do have the oddest ways," said Nora, perched at the foot of her
cousin's bed; "why do you stay in bed to breakfast?"

"Because I always have--and because it's the proper and reasonable thing
to do," said Constance defiantly. "Your English custom of coming down at
half past eight to eat poached eggs and bacon is perfectly detestable."

She waved her teaspoon in Nora's face, and Nora reflected--though her
sunburnt countenance was still severe--that Connie was never so
attractive as when, in the freshest of white dressing-gowns, propped
among the lace and silk of her ridiculous pillows and bedspreads, she
was toying with the coffee and roll which Annette brought her at eight
o'clock, as she had been accustomed to bring it since Connie was a
child. Mrs. Hooper had clearly expressed her disapproval of such habits,
but neither Annette nor Connie had paid any attention. Annette had long
since come to an understanding with the servants, and it was she who
descended at half past sev