er. "If you make
yourself such a fool, Tom, I'll never speak to you again," she had
said, once. Even after that she had not understood that it was
more than a stupid joke. But the joke, while it was considered as
such, was very distasteful to her; and afterwards, when a certain
earnestness in it was driven in upon her, it became worse than
distasteful.

She repudiated his love with such power as she had, but she could not
silence him. She could not at all understand that a young man, who
seemed to her to be an oaf, should really be in love,--honestly in
love with her. But such was the case. Then she became afraid lest
others should see it,--afraid, though she often told herself that she
would appeal to her aunt for protection. "I tell you I don't care a
bit about you, and you oughtn't to go on," she said. But he did go
on, and though her aunt did not see it Augusta did.

Then Augusta spoke a word to her in scorn. "Ayala," she said, "you
should not encourage Tom."

Encourage him! What a word from one girl to another! What a world
of wrong there was in the idea which had created the word! What an
absence of the sort of feeling which, according to Ayala's theory
of life, there should be on such a matter between two sisters, two
cousins, or two friends! Encourage him! When Augusta ought to have
been the first to assist her in her trouble! "Oh, Augusta," she said,
turning sharply round, "what a spiteful creature you are."

"I suppose you think so, because I do not choose to approve."

"Approve of what! Tom is thoroughly disagreeable. Sometimes he makes
my life such a burden to me that I think I shall have to go to my
aunt. But you are worse. Oh!" exclaimed Ayala, shuddering as she
thought of the unwomanly treachery of which her cousin was guilty
towards her.

Nothing more came of it at Glenbogie. Tom was required in Lombard
Street, and the matter was not suspected by Aunt Emmeline,--as far,
at least, as Ayala was aware. When he was gone it was to her as
though there would be a world of time before she would see him again.
They were to go to Rome, and he would not be at Rome till January.
Before that he might have forgotten his folly. But Ayala was quite
determined that she would never forget the ill offices of Augusta.
She did hate Augusta, as she had told her sister. Then, in this frame
of mind, the family was taken to Rome.

CHAPTER VI.

AT ROME.

During her journeying and during her sojourn at Rome Ay