liged to have all sorts of people," said the Duke
apologetically.

"I suppose so,--when you have so many coming and going. I am sorry
to say that my time is up to-morrow, so that I shall make way for
somebody else."

"I hope you won't think of going, Lady Rosina,--unless you are
engaged elsewhere. We are delighted to have you."

"The Duchess has been very kind, but--"

"The Duchess, I fear, is almost too much engaged to see as much of
her guests individually as she ought to do. To me your being here is
a great pleasure."

"You are too good to me,--much too good. But I shall have stayed
out my time, and I think, Duke, I will go to-morrow. I am very
methodical, you know, and always act by rule. I have walked my two
miles now, and I will go in. If you do want boots with cork soles
mind you go to Sprout's. Dear me; there is that Major Pountney again.
That is four times he has been up and down that path since we have
been walking here."

Lady Rosina went in, and the Duke turned back, thinking of his friend
and perhaps thinking of the cork soles of which she had to be so
careful and which were so important to her comfort. It could not be
that he fancied Lady Rosina to be clever, nor can we imagine that her
conversation satisfied any of those wants to which he and all of us
are subject. But nevertheless he liked Lady Rosina, and was never
bored by her. She was natural, and she wanted nothing from him. When
she talked about cork soles she meant cork soles. And then she did
not tread on any of his numerous corns. As he walked on he determined
that he would induce his wife to persuade Lady Rosina to stay a
little longer at the Castle. In meditating upon this he made another
turn in the grounds, and again came upon Major Pountney as that
gentleman was returning from the stables. "A very cold afternoon," he
said, feeling it to be ungracious to pass one of his own guests in
his own grounds without a word of salutation.

"Very cold indeed, your Grace,--very cold." The Duke had intended
to pass on, but the Major managed to stop him by standing in the
pathway. The Major did not in the least know his man. He had heard
that the Duke was shy, and therefore thought that he was timid. He
had not hitherto been spoken to by the Duke,--a condition of things
which he attributed to the Duke's shyness and timidity. But, with
much thought on the subject, he had resolved that he would have a few
words with his host, and had therefore pass