s rival,
nor had he to her. He knew, or fancied that he knew, that "her heart had
been touched," as he had said to Arbuthnot. But the "touch" must have
been very deep if she felt herself constrained to speak to him on the
subject. It had been his desire to pass over Mr. Annesley, and never to
hear the name mentioned between them. "You were speaking of your own
heart."

"Well I was, no doubt. It is a silly thing to talk of, I dare say."

"I'm going to tell you of my heart, and I hope you won't think it silly.
I do so because I believe you to be a gentleman, and a man of honor." He
blushed at the words and the tone in which they were spoken, but his
heart fell still lower. "Mr. Anderson, I am engaged." Here she paused a
moment, but he had nothing to say. "I am engaged to marry a gentleman
whom I love with all my heart, and all my strength, and all my body. I
love him so that nothing can ever separate me from him, or, at least,
from the thoughts of him. As regards all the interests of life, I feel
as though I were already his wife. If I ever marry any man I swear to
you that it will be him." Then Mr. Anderson felt that all hope had
utterly departed from him. She had said that she believed him to be a
man of truth. He certainly believed her to be a true-speaking woman. He
asked himself, and he found it to be quite impossible to doubt her word
on this subject. "Now I will go on and tell you my troubles. My mother
disapproves of the man. Sir Magnus has taken upon himself to disapprove,
and Lady Mountjoy disapproves especially. I don't care two straws about
Sir Magnus and Lady Mountjoy. As to Lady Mountjoy, it is simply an
impertinence on her part, interfering with me." There was something in
her face as she said this which made Mr. Anderson feel that if he could
only succeed in having her and the pair of ponies he would be a prouder
man than the ambassador at Paris. But he knew that it was hopeless. "As
to my mother, that is indeed a sorrow. She has been to me the dearest
mother, putting her only hopes of happiness in me. No mother was ever
more devoted to a child, and of all children I should be the most
ungrateful were I to turn against her. But from my early years she has
wished me to marry a man whom I could not bring myself to love. You have
heard of Captain Scarborough?"

"The man who disappeared?"

"He was and is my first cousin."

"He is in some way connected with Sir Magnus."

"Through mamma. Mamma is aunt to