heart; for why should any frivolous trinket--even when presented by this
very charming and complaisant young damsel--be allowed to interfere with
the prerogative of Miss Cunyngham's sacred talisman?

"I say," continued the bright-eyed, ruddy-haired lass, "what do you and
Honnor Cunyngham talk about all day long, when you are away on those
fishing excursions? Don't you bore each other to death? Oh, I know she's
rather learned, though she doesn't bestow much of her knowledge upon us.
Well, I'm not going to say anything against Honnor, for she's so awfully
good-natured, you know; she allows her sisters-in-law to experiment on
her as an audience, and she has always something friendly and nice to
say, though I can guess what she thinks of it all. Now, what _do_ you
two talk about all day long?"

"Well, there's the fishing," said he, "for one thing."

"Oh, don't tell me!" exclaimed this impertinent young hussy (while "The
Voices of the Moonlight" moaned and mourned their mysterious regrets and
despairs at the far end of the drawing-room). "Don't tell _me_! Honnor
Cunyngham is far too good-looking for you to go talking salmon to her
all day long. Very handsome I call her; don't you? She's so
distinguished, somehow--so different from any one else. Of course you
don't notice it up here so much, where she prides herself on roughing
it--you never met her in London?--in London you should see her come
into a drawing-room--her walk and manner are simply splendid. She'll
never marry," continued this garrulous little person, with the
coquettish _pince-nez_ perched on her not too Grecian nose. "I'm sure
she won't. She despises men--all of them except her brother, Sir Hugh.
Lord Rockminster admires her tremendously, but he's too lazy to say so,
I suppose. How has she taken such a fancy to you?"

"I was not aware she had," Lionel discreetly made answer, though the
question had startled him, and not with pain.

"Oh, yes, she has. Did she think you were lone and unprotected, being
persecuted by the rest of us? I am quite certain she wouldn't allow my
brother Percy to go fishing a whole day with her; most likely Lord
Rockminster wouldn't care to take the trouble. I wonder if she hasn't a
bit of a temper? Lady Rosamund is awful sometimes; but she doesn't show
that to _you_--catch her! But Honnor Cunyngham--well, the only time I
ever went with her on one of her storking expeditions, the water was
low, and she thrashed away for hours, and s