come up?'

There was something so matter-of-fact in the question, that Mrs. Fordyce
and her daughters could not refrain from exchanging glances.

'Well, my dear, I suppose he does not come up because he wishes to have
you a little while to himself,' said Mrs. Fordyce, with a smile, 'and I
must say I quite sympathise with him. Run away down, and don't stay too
long; tell him not to be selfish.'

'But I don't think I want to go down. It is so strange, I think, for him
not to come up here as usual. Why should there be any difference made?'
inquired Gladys, as she rose with seeming reluctance to her feet.

'It is you who are strange, I think,' said Mina whimsically. 'You would
require a very cool lover, Gladys, you are so cool yourself.'

'It is a pity one must have a lover,' said Gladys quite soberly, as she
walked out of the room.

'Girls,' said Mrs. Fordyce, 'Gladys is an enigma, and I give her up; she
is so different from any one I have ever met. Do you really think she
cares anything for your cousin?'

'If she doesn't, why has she promised to marry him?' inquired Clara
rather quickly. 'I think it is rather absurd to ask the question.'

'Well, I must say I should not particularly like to be in his shoes,'
said Mina; and added, with light sarcasm, 'But it will do dear George
good. Gladys will not fall down and worship him, like the rest of her
sex. How I should like to be invisible at this moment in the library.'

But though Mina had had her wish she would not have seen anything very
exciting, the greeting which passed between Gladys and her lover being
remarkably cool. George Fordyce was not quite himself. Had Gladys been
more absorbingly interested in him she could not have failed to observe
the furtive look of anxiety with which he advanced to meet her; his
demeanour was as different from the ordinary eagerness of a
newly-accepted lover as could well be imagined. Nor did she betray these
signs of maidenly shyness and trembling joy which in the circumstances
she might have been expected to feel.

'Good-evening,' she said gaily. 'Why did you not come up, instead of
sending a message to me, as if you were a person asking a subscription?
I thought it so odd.'

George's courage rose. The gay unconcern of her demeanour convinced him
that as yet nothing had lowered him in her estimation; with a little
careful diplomacy, the dangerous currents might yet be avoided, and all
go well.

'Is it so odd that I should