ce. "Do you think your sister
would like to be so near her old home?"

"I think she would consider it an advantage. She was always fond of
Angleford. Your wife will be a happy woman, Dalton, whoever she may
be--sua si bona norit!"

"Well, I'm glad I spoke to you," said Brooke, with an air of visible
relief. "Edith knows all about it, and is delighted. How the time flies!
We can't have a game before dinner, I'm afraid. Must you go to-morrow,
Campion?"

"It is necessary. The House meets at four; and besides, I have arranged
to meet Sir John Pynsent earlier in the day. I want to have a little
talk with him."

"To put his fate to the touch, I suppose," meditated Brooke, glancing at
Sydney's face, which had suddenly grown a little grave. "I suppose it
would be premature to say anything--I think," he said aloud, "that we
almost ought to be dressing now."

"Yes, we've only left ourselves ten minutes. I say, Dalton, now I think
of it, I'll give you a letter to my sister, if you'll be kind enough to
deliver it."

"All right."

"There will be no hurry about it. Give it to her whenever you like. I
think it would be serviceable, and I suppose you can trust my
discretion; but, understand me--you can deliver the letter or not, as
seems good to you when you are with her. I'll write it to-night, and let
you have it to-morrow morning before I go."

It would not have occurred to Brooke Dalton to ask for a letter of
recommendation when he went a-courting, but Sydney's words did not
strike him as incongruous at the time, and he was simple enough to
believe that a brother's influence would weigh with a woman of Lettice's
calibre in the choice of a partner for life.

Sydney delivered the letter into his keeping next day, and then went up
to town, where he was to meet Sir John Pynsent at the Club.

Dalton had been mistaken when he conjectured that Sydney's intentions
were to consult Sir John about his pretension to Miss Pynsent's hand.
Sydney had not yet got so far. He had made up his mind that he wanted
Anna Pynsent for a wife more than he had ever wanted any woman in the
world; and the encouragement that he had received from Sir John and Lady
Pynsent made him conscious that they were not very likely to deny his
suit. And yet he paused. It seemed to him that he would like a longer
interval to pass before he asked Nan Pynsent to marry him--a longer
space in which to put away certain memories and fears which became more
bitter to