"

"That he had taken for granted that I had no will of my own, and no
influence with my aunt."

"It seems rather faint-hearted, I admit."

The dialogue lasted but a few minutes longer. May repeated once or
twice that she had no personal interest in Lashmar's fortunes, but her
utterance grew mechanical, and she was evidently withdrawing into her
thoughts. As a clock in the room told softly the first hour of the
morning, Mrs. Toplady rose; she spoke a few words about her engagements
for the day which had nominally begun, then kissed her friend on the
cheek.

"Don't think any more of it, May. It mustn't interfere with your sleep."

"That indeed it won't, Mrs. Toplady!" replied the girl, with a
musically mocking laugh.

Appearances notwithstanding, May told the truth when she declared that
she had never thought of marrying Lashmar. This, however, did not
necessarily involve an indifference to Lashmar's homage. That the
coming man should make his court to her, she saw as a natural and
agreeable thing; that he should recognise her intellectual powers, and
submit to her personal charm, was only what she had hoped and expected
from the first. After their conversation in the supper-room, she
counted him a conquest, and looked forward with no little interest to
the development of this romance. Its sudden termination astonished and
mortified her. Had Lashmar turned away to make some brilliant alliance,
her pique would have endured only for a moment; Lord Dymchurch's
approach would have more than compensated the commoner's retirement.
But that she should merely have amused his idle moments, whilst his
serious thoughts were fixed on Constance Bride, was an injury not easy
to pardon. For she disliked Miss Bride, and she knew the sentiment was
mutual.

Seeing the situation in the new light shed by Mrs. Toplady's ingenious
conjectures, her sense of injury was mitigated; the indignant feeling
that remained she directed chiefly against Lady Ogram, who seemed
inclined to dispose of her in such a summary way. Constance, naturally,
she disliked more than ever, but Lashmar she viewed with something of
compassion, as a victim of circumstances. Were those circumstances
irresistible? Was there not even now a possibility of defeating
them?--not with a view to taking Miss Bride's place, but for the
pleasure of asserting herself against a plot, and reassuring her
rightful position as arbitress of destinies. Lady Ogram was a kind old
wom