athing quickly.

"Who is it, Willie?" she gasped.

"No, you must guess," said the Governor, over his shoulder; he was
engaged in lighting a cigar.

"No, no; tell me, tell me," she could not help crying.

At the sound of her voice, he turned quickly and looked curiously at
her.

"Why, Al, what's the matter?" he asked uneasily.

Surely she could not care for that fellow? But girls were queer
creatures. Lord Eynesford always doubted if they really knew a gentleman
from one who was--well, very nearly a gentleman.

Alicia saw his puzzled look and forced a smile.

"Don't tease me. Who is it?"

"No less a man than a Minister."

"A--Willie, who is it?" she asked, and she stretched out a hand in
entreaty.

"My dear girl, whatever----? Well, then, it's Coxon."

"Mr. Coxon! Oh!" and a sigh followed, the hand fell to her side, the
flush vanished.

She felt a great relief; the strain was over; there was nothing to be
faced now, and, as happens at first, peace seemed almost so sweet as to
drown the taste of disappointment. Yet she could not have denied that
the taste of disappointment was there.

"Oh! how absurd!"

"It's rather amusing," said his Excellency, much relieved in his turn.
"You won't chaff Mary--promise."

"What about? No, I promise."

"She thought he was sweet on Eleanor, and rather backed him up--asked
him here and all that, you know--and it was you all the time."

Alicia laughed.

"I thought Mary used to leave him a lot to Eleanor."

"That's it."

"But Eleanor always passed him on to me."

"The deuce she did!" laughed Lord Eynesford.

"Don't tell Mary that!"

"Not I! Well, what shall I say? He wants to see you."

"How tiresome!"

"Look here, Al, Mary seems to have given him a bit of her mind; but I
must be civil. We can't tell the chap that he's--well, you know. It
wouldn't do out here. You don't mind seeing him, do you?"

Alicia said that she would do her duty.

"And shall I be safe in writing and telling him I can say nothing till
he has discovered your inclinations?"

"You'll be perfectly safe," said Alicia with decision.

The Governor wrote his letter; it was a very civil letter indeed, and
Lord Eynesford felt that it ought in some degree to assuage the wrath
which his wife's unseemly surprise had probably raised in Coxon's
breast.

"It's all very well," he pondered, "for a man to be civil all round as I
am; but his womankind can always give him away."

He closed his not