An angry flush mounted to her fair cheeks and for a moment she could
barely keep her temper, then without a minutes hesitation she walked
boldly towards Leslie and his friend. Leslie jumped up when he saw her
approach "I was just coming to look for you Sylvia" he said and getting
up he followed her to the end of the room.

"Who was that person I saw you talking to so lovingly?" asked Sylvia.

"Oh that was Isobel May Saunders, a great friend of mine" replied Leslie
with a short laugh.

"So I should think a _great_ friend" answered Sylvia angrily "and by the
way you were talking to her I should think you were engaged to her."

"Look here Sylvia don't be angry" said Leslie slowly "but I _was_ going
to have made her my wife once but since I met you I have thought better
of it--please don't say any more about it."

"Oh Leslie" cried Sylvia in surprise "but does the poor girl believe
that you love her

"To tell you the truth Sylvia" replied Leslie getting very red as he
spoke "my belief is that Isobel thinks I love her and as I can not throw
her over altogether that is why you saw me speaking to her just then."

"But what is your reason for not marrying her?" cried Sylvia.

"Well because I thought I would rather marry someone else" said Leslie
blushing and looking straight into her face.

"But who do you want to marry?" said Sylvia blushing in her turn.

"You dearest" he replied in an undertone "ever since the day I came to
call upon your uncle I have set my heart on making you my wife. Do you
think you love me enough to marry me?"

"I think I do Leslie" said Sylvia getting very hot "but I must speak to
uncle about it first."

"Don't forget" said Leslie in a beseeching tone "and let me know as soon
as possible."

So the whole of that evening Leslie and Sylvia kept together but as
Leslie was helping Sylvia on with her cloak, Sylvia saw Isobel Saunders
gazing at Leslie with a look which went straight to her heart.

CHAPTER 4

AFTER THE BALL

Before we go on any further we had better say a word about Isobel
Saunders.

She was the only daughter of Colonel Saunders of the 159th who having
lost a lot of money in the army was now in very poor circumstances. His
wife had died five years previously and left him with three sons and a
daughter. The eldest son William was a tall stout elderly man of about
25 who followed his father's profession. Robert the next was fair and
delicate looking taking after his