tuse: she dwelt on that vision of
the future.

He listened, and resumed: 'My view of marriage is, that no man should
ask a woman to be his wife unless he is well able to support her in
the comforts, not to say luxuries, she is accustomed to.' His gaze had
wandered to the desk; it fixed there. 'That is Miss Merion's writing,'
he said.

'The letter?' said Lady Dunstane, and she stretched out her hand to
press down a leaf of it. 'Yes; it is from her.'

'Is she quite well?'

'I suppose she is. She does not speak of her health.'

He looked pertinaciously in the direction of the letter, and it was not
rightly mannered. That letter, of all others, was covert and sacred to
the friend. It contained the weightiest of secrets.

'I have not written to her,' said Redworth.

He was astonishing: 'To whom? To Diana? You could very well have done
so, only I fancy she knows nothing, has never given a thought to railway
stocks and shares; she has a loathing for speculation.'

'And speculators too, I dare say!'

'It is extremely probable.' Lady Dunstane spoke with an emphasis, for
the man liked Diana, and would be moved by the idea of forfeiting her
esteem.

'She might blame me if I did anything dishonourable!'

'She certainly would.'

'She will have no cause.'

Lady Dunstane began to look, as at a cloud charged with remote
explosions: and still for the moment she was unsuspecting. But it was
a flitting moment. When he went on, and very singularly droning to her
ear: 'The more a man loves a woman, the more he should be positive,
before asking her, that she will not have to consent to a loss of
position, and I would rather lose her than fail to give her all--not
be sure, as far as a man can be sure, of giving her all I think she's
worthy of': then the cloud shot a lightning flash, and the doors of her
understanding swung wide to the entry of a great wonderment. A shock of
pain succeeded it. Her sympathy was roused so acutely that she slipped
over the reflective rebuke she would have addressed to her silly
delusion concerning his purpose in speaking of his affairs to a woman.
Though he did not mention Diana by name, Diana was clearly the person.
And why had he delayed to speak to her?--Because of this venture of his
money to make him a fortune, for the assurance of her future comfort!
Here was the best of men for the girl, not displeasing to her; a good,
strong, trustworthy man, pleasant to hear and to see, only erring in
b