t when I heard that Mr. Peacocke had come back,
and all about his marriage, you know, I could not but come over to see
him. He and I have always been such great friends."

"Oh,--to see Mr. Peacocke?"

"I thought he'd think it unkind if I didn't look him up. He has made it
all right; hasn't he?"

"Yes;--he has made it all right, I think. A finer fellow never lived.
But he'll tell you all about it. He travelled with a pistol in his
pocket, and seemed to want it too. I suppose you must come in and see the
ladies after we have been to Peacocke?"

"I suppose I can just see them," said the young lord, as though moved by
equal anxiety as to the mother and as to the daughter.

"I'll leave word that you are here, and then we'll go into the school."
So the Doctor found a servant, and sent what message he thought fit
into the house.

"Lord Carstairs here?"

"Yes, indeed, Miss! He's with your papa, going across to the school. He
told me to take word in to Missus that he supposes his lordship will stay
to dinner." The maid who carried the tidings, and who had received no
commission to convey them to Miss Mary, was, no doubt, too much interested
in an affair of love, not to take them first to the one that would be most
concerned with them.

That very morning Mary had been bemoaning herself as to her hard
condition. Of what use was it to her to have a lover, if she was never to
see him, never to hear from him,--only to be told about him,--that she was
not to think of him more than she could help? She was already beginning
to think that a long engagement carried on after this fashion would have
more of suffering in it than she had anticipated. It seemed to her that
while she was, and always would be, thinking of him, he never, never would
continue to think of her. If it could be only a word once a month it
would be something,--just one or two written words under an
envelope,--even that would have sufficed to keep her hope alive! But
never to see him;--never to hear from him! Her mother had told her that
very morning that there was to be no meeting,--probably for three years,
till he should have done with Oxford. And here he was in the house,--and
her papa had sent in word to say that he was to eat his dinner there! It
so astonished her that she felt that she would be afraid to meet him.
Before she had had a minute to think of it all, her mother was with her.
"Carstairs, love, is here!"

"Oh mamma, what has br