f dropping her friends; another
has a little way of not paying her dressmaker; another's little way is
to take too much champagne. I hope Lady Hartfield's little way will be
her devotion to her husband.'

'I'm afraid I shall end by being a nuisance to you, for I shall love you
ridiculously,' answered Mary, gaily; 'and from what you have told me
about society, it seems to me that there can be nothing so unfashionable
as an affectionate wife. Will you mind my being quite out of fashion,
Jack?'

'I should very much object to your being in the fashion.'

'Then I am happy. I don't think it is in my nature to become a woman of
fashion; although I have cured myself, for your sake, of being a hoyden.
I had so schooled myself for what I thought our new life was to be; so
trained myself to be a managing economical wife, that I feel quite at
sea now that I am to be mistress of a house in Grosvenor Square and a
place in Kent. Still, I will bear with it all; yes, even endure the
weight of those diamonds for your sake.'

She laughed, and he laughed. They were quite alone among the
hills--hardy mountaineers both--and they could be as foolish as they
liked. She rested her head upon his shoulder, and he and she and the
pony made one as they climbed the hill, close together.

'Our last day,' sighed Mary, as they went down again, after a couple of
blissful hours in that wild world between earth and sky. 'I shall be
glad to go back to poor grandmother, who must be sadly lonely; but it is
so sweet to be quite alone with you.'

They left the Lodore Hotel in an open carriage, after luncheon next day,
and posted to Fellside, where they arrived just in time to assist at
Lady Maulevrier's afternoon tea. She received them both with warm
affection, and made Hartfield sit close beside her sofa; and every now
and then, in the pauses of their talk, she laid her wasted and too
delicate fingers upon the young man's strong brown hand, with a
caressing gesture.

'You can never know how sweet it is to me to be able to love you,' she
said tenderly. 'You can never know how my heart yearned to you from the
very first, and how hard it was to keep myself in check and not be too
kind to you. Oh, Hartfield, you should have told me the truth. You
should not have come here under false colours.'

'Should I not, Lady Maulevrier? It was my only chance of being loved
for my own sake; or, at least of knowing that I was so loved. If I had
come with my rank and