ubt that they found her charming. As for Alfred,
he was notably fine-looking in his evening-clothes--infinitely more like
the son of a nobleman, the gratified uncle kept saying to himself,
than that big dullard, the Honourable Balder. It filled him with a new
pleasure to remember that Alfred had visiting cards presenting his name
as D'Aubigny, which everybody of education knew was what the degenerate
Dabney really stood for. The lad and his sister had united upon this
excellent change long ago at Cheltenham, and oddly enough they had
confessed it to their uncle, at the beginning of the trip, with a show
of trepidation, as if they feared his anger. With radiant gayety he
had relieved their minds by showing them his card, with "Mr. Stormont
Thorpe" alone upon it. At the dinner table, in the proudest moment
of his life, he had made himself prouder still by thinking how
distinguished an appearance his and Alfred's cards would make together
in the apartment below next day.

But next day, the relations between the two parties had already become
too informal for cards. Julia went down to see them; they came up to see
Julia. Then they all went for a long walk, with luncheon at Vevey, and
before evening Alfred was talking confidently of painting Miss Madden.
Next day they went by train to St. Maurice, and, returning after dark,
dined without ceremony together. This third day--the weather still
remaining bright--they had ascended by the funicular road to Glion, and
walked on among the swarming luegers, up to Caux. Here, after luncheon,
they had wandered about for a time, regarding the panorama of lake and
mountains. Now, as the homeward descent began, chance led the two young
people and Miss Madden on ahead.

Thorpe found himself walking beside Lady Cressage. He had upon his arm
her outer wrap, which she said she would put on presently. To look at
the view he must glance past her face: the profile, under the graceful
fur cap, was so enriched by glowing colour that it was, to his thought,
as if she were blushing.

"How little I thought, a few months ago," he said, "that we should be
mountaineering together!"

"Oh, no one knows a day ahead," she responded, vaguely. "I had probably
less notion of coming to Switzerland then than you had."

"Then you don't come regularly?"

"I have never seen either Germany or Switzerland before. I have scarcely
been out of England before."

"Why now"--he paused, to think briefly upon his word