rden, had required of him
to attend upon her the next morning as he went to his shooting, and
in obedience to this command he appeared on Mrs Dale's lawn after
breakfast, accompanied by Bernard and two dogs. The men had guns in
their hands, and were got up with all proper sporting appurtenances,
but it so turned out that they did not reach the stubble-fields on
the farther side of the road until after luncheon. And may it not be
fairly doubted whether croquet is not as good as shooting when a man
is in love?

It will be said that Bernard Dale was not in love; but they who bring
such accusation against him, will bring it falsely. He was in love
with his cousin Bell according to his manner and fashion. It was not
his nature to love Bell as John Eames loved Lily; but then neither
would his nature bring him into such a trouble as that which the
charms of Amelia Roper had brought upon the poor clerk from the
Income-tax Office. Johnny was susceptible, as the word goes; whereas
Captain Dale was a man who had his feelings well under control. He
was not one to make a fool of himself about a girl, or to die of a
broken heart; but, nevertheless, he would probably love his wife when
he got a wife, and would be a careful father to his children.

They were very intimate with each other now,--these four. It was
Bernard and Adolphus, or sometimes Apollo, and Bell and Lily among
them; and Crosbie found it to be pleasant enough. A new position
of life had come upon him, and one exceeding pleasant; but,
nevertheless, there were moments in which cold fits of a melancholy
nature came upon him. He was doing the very thing which throughout
all the years of his manhood he had declared to himself that he
would not do. According to his plan of life he was to have eschewed
marriage, and to have allowed himself to regard it as a possible
event only under the circumstances of wealth, rank, and beauty all
coming in his way together. As he had expected no such glorious
prize, he had regarded himself as a man who would reign at the
Beaufort and be potent at Sebright's to the end of his chapter. But
now--

It was the fact that he had fallen from his settled position,
vanquished by a silver voice, a pretty wit, and a pair of moderately
bright eyes. He was very fond of Lily, having in truth a stronger
capability for falling in love than his friend Captain Dale; but was
the sacrifice worth his while? This was the question which he asked
himself in th