d
administering encouragement and consolation. Every morning Cornelia sat
in conclave with her friend in the prosaic Victorian drawing-room which
took the place of the turret chamber of romance. Elma would not
condescend to hold stolen interviews with her lover, while both families
so strongly opposed the engagement, so she shut herself up in the house,
growing daily whiter and thinner, wandering aimlessly from room to room,
and crying helplessly upon her bed. It was as a breath of fresh
mountain air when Cornelia appeared upon the scene, bearing always the
same terse, practical advice--"Make sure of your own mind, and--_stick_
to it!"

The colour came back to Elma's face as she listened, and hope revived in
her heart. She declared anew that nothing in the world should separate
her from Geoffrey; that she would be true to him to the last day of her
life. Cornelia repeated these touching vows in conclave with Guest
behind the shrubbery of the Park, and then he went off post-haste to the
Manor, to cheer Geoffrey with the news of the steadfast loyalty of his
_fiancee_. Second-hand assurances soon pall, however, on the youthful
lover, and after a week had passed by, Geoffrey suddenly waxed
desperate, and announced that he would not submit to the separation for
another hour. He was perfectly capable of choosing his own wife, Elma
was of age, and at liberty to decide for herself. He would go down to
The Holt that very afternoon and have it out with the old lady, once for
all. If his mother liked to accompany him, so much the better. She and
Mrs Ramsden could each have their say, and then he and Elma would have
theirs. For his part he warned them that no arguments could move him
from his point, but they might see what they would do with Elma!
Perhaps they could persuade Elma to give him up!

He smiled as he spoke, in proud, self-confident fashion, but Madame
looked at him thoughtfully, smoothed the ruffles on her sleeves, and
replied in her sweetest tones--

"Dear boy, yes! quite a good idea. Let us talk it over like sensible
people. Elma has such truly nice feelings.--I feel sure we may trust
her decision!"

Geoffrey sat him down forthwith to indite a letter to his love, warning
her of the ordeal ahead in a couple of lines, and enlarging on his own
devotion for the rest of the sheet, which missive was entrusted to Guest
when he paid his daily visit to the Manor. "I mean to put an end to
this nonsense, once