hem on either side ever had the slightest suspicion
that they cared for each other in any way except as friends and fellow
pupils.

So the years went by till the pair were seventeen, young man and young
woman, though still called boy and girl. They were good-looking in
their respective ways though yet unformed; tall and straight, too, both
of them, but singularly dissimilar in appearance as well as in mind.
Godfrey was dark, pale and thoughtful-faced. Isobel was fair,
vivacious, open-natured, amusing, and given to saying the first thing
that came to her tongue. She had few reservations; her thoughts might
be read in her large grey eyes before they were heard from her lips,
which generally was not long afterwards. Also she was very able. She
read and understood the papers and followed all the movements of the
day with a lively interest, especially if these had to do with national
affairs or with women and their status.

Business, too, came naturally to her, so much so that her father would
consult her about his undertakings, that is, about those of them which
were absolutely above board and beyond suspicion of sharp dealing. The
others he was far too wise to bring within her ken, knowing exactly
what he would have heard from her upon the subject. And yet
notwithstanding all his care she suspected him, by instinct, not by
knowledge. For his part he was proud of her and would listen with
pleasure when, still a mere child, she engaged his guests boldly in
argument, for instance a bishop or a dean on theology, or a statesman
on current politics. Already he had formed great plans for her future;
she was to marry a peer who took an active part in things, or at any
rate a leading politician, and to become a power in the land. But of
this, too, wisely he said nothing to Isobel, for the time had not yet
come.

During these years things had prospered exceedingly with John Blake who
was now a very rich man with ships owned, or partly owned by him on
every sea. On several occasions he had been asked to stand for
Parliament and declined the honour. He knew himself to be no speaker,
and was sure also that he could not attend both to the affairs of the
country and to those of his ever-spreading business. So he took another
course and began to support the Conservative Party, which he selected
as the safest, by means of large subscriptions.

He did more, he bought a baronetcy, for only thus can the transaction
be described. When