'holy estate,'" said she carelessly. "But there was some other
Dorsetshire lady whom Mr. Harper told me of. Who is Anne Valery?"

Major Frederick Harper actually started, and the deep sensitive colour,
which not even his forty years and his long worldly experience could
quite keep down, rose in his handsome face.

"So N. L. spoke to you of her. No wonder. She is an--an excellent
person."

"An excellent person," repeated Agatha mischievously. "Then she is
rather elderly, I conclude?"

"Elderly--Anne Valery elderly! By Heavens, no!" (And the excited Major
used the solitary asseveration which clung to him, the last trace of
his brief military experience.) "Anne Valery old! Not a day older than
myself! We were companions as boy and girl, young man and young woman,
until--stay--ten--fifteen years ago. Fifteen years!--ah, yes--I suppose
she would be considered elderly now."

After this burst, Major Harper sank into one of his cloudy moods. At
last he said, in a confidential and rather sentimental tone, "Miss
Valery is an excellent lady--an old friend of our family; but she and I
have not met for many years. Circumstances necessitated our parting."

"Circumstances?"

Agatha guessed the truth--or fancied she did; and her wrathful pride
was up again. More trophies of the illustrious Frederick's unwilling
slaughters--more heart's blood dyeing the wheels of this unconscious
Juggernaut of female devotees! Yet there he sat, looking so pathetically
regretful, as if he felt himself the blameless, helpless instrument of
fate to work the sentimental woe of all womankind! Agatha was absolutely
dumb with indignation.

She was a little unjust, even were he erring. It is often a great
misfortune, but it is no blame to a good man that good women--more than
one--have loved him; if, as all noble men do, he hides the humiliation
or sorrow of their love sacredly in his own heart, and makes no boast
of it. Of this nobility of character--rare indeed, yet not unknown or
impossible--Frederick Harper just fell short. Kind, clever, and amusing,
he might be, but he was a man not sufficiently great to be humble.

No more was said on the mysterious topic of Miss Anne Valery. Agatha was
too angry; and the subject seemed painful to Major Harper. Though he did
what was not his habit--especially with female friends--he endeavoured,
instead of encouraging, to throw off his momentary sentimentality, and
become his usual witty, cheerful, agreeable se