in the
seclusion of his own bedroom. Not a word of love had been spoken, but
Lady Amaldina was satisfied. On her toilet-table she found a little
parcel addressed to her by his lordship containing a locket with her
monogram, "A. L.," in diamonds. The hour of midnight was long passed
before his lordship had reduced to words the first half of those
promises of constitutional safety which he intended to make to the
Conservatives of Denbigh. Not much was seen of Lord Llwddythlw after
breakfast on the following morning, so determined was he to do
justice to the noble cause which he had in hand. After lunch a little
expedition was arranged for the two lovers, and the busy politician
allowed himself to be sent out for a short drive with no other
companion than his future bride. Had he been quite intimate with her
he would have given her the manuscript of his speech, and occupied
himself by saying it to her as a lesson which he had learnt. As
he could not do this he recapitulated to her all his engagements,
as though excusing his own slowness as to matrimony, and declared
that what with the property and what with Parliament, he never knew
whether he was standing on his head or his heels. But when he paused
he had done nothing towards naming a certain day, so that Lady
Amaldina found herself obliged to take the matter into her own hands.
"When then do you think it will be?" she asked. He put his hand up
and rubbed his head under his hat as though the subject were very
distressing to him. "I would not for worlds, you know, think that
I was in your way," she said, with just a tone of reproach in her
voice.

He was in truth sincerely attached to her;--much more so than it
was in the compass of her nature to be to him. If he could have had
her for his wife without any trouble of bridal preparations, or of
subsequent honeymooning, he would most willingly have begun from this
moment. It was incumbent on him to be married, and he had quite made
up his mind that this was the sort of wife that he required. But
now he was sadly put about by that tone of reproach. "I wish to
goodness," he said, "that I had been born a younger brother, or just
anybody else than I am."

"Why on earth should you wish that?"

"Because I am so bothered. Of course, you don't understand it."

"I do understand," said Amaldina;--"but there must, you know, be some
end to all that. I suppose the Parliament and the Lunatic Asylums
will go on just the same always.