"No, no! I can"t have you so like a novel. No, don"t be anxious. It can"t be for ever so long, and, of course, the more I am with her, the better I must like her. It will be all right."

"I don"t think you know anything about it," said Mrs. Frost, "but there, that"s the last I shall say. You"ll forgive your old aunt."

He smiled, and playfully pressed her hand, adding, "But we don"t know whether she will have me."

Mary had meantime entered her mother"s room, with a look that revealed the whole to Mrs. Ponsonby, who had already been somewhat startled by the demeanour of the father and son at breakfast.

"Oh, mamma, what is to be done?"

"What do you wish, my child?" asked her mother, putting her arm round her waist.

"I don"t know yet," said Mary. "It is so odd!" And the disposition to laugh returned for a moment.

"You were not at all prepared."

"Oh no! He seems so young. And," she added, blushing, "I cannot tell, but I should not have thought his ways were like the kind of thing."

"Nor I, and the less since Clara has been here."

"Oh," said Mary, without a shade on her calm, sincere brow, "he has Clara so much with him because he is her only friend."

The total absence of jealousy convinced Mrs. Ponsonby that the heart could hardly have been deeply touched, but Mary continued, in a slightly trembling voice, "I do not see why he should have done this, unless--"

"Unless that his father wished it."

"Oh," said Mary, somewhat disappointed, "but how could Lord Ormersfield possibly--"

"He has an exceeding dread of Louis"s making as great a mistake as he did," said Mrs. Ponsonby; "and perhaps he thinks you the best security."

"And you think Louis only meant to please him?"

"My dear, I am afraid it may be so. Louis is very fond of him, and easily led by a strong character."

She pressed her daughter closer, and felt rather than heard a little sigh; but all that Mary said was, "Then I had better not think about it."

"Nay, my dear, tell me first what you think of his manner."

"It was strange, and a little debonnaire, I think," said Mary, smiling, but tears gathering in her eyes. "He said I was too good for him. He said he would make me happy, and that he and his father would be very happy." A great tear fell. "Something about not being worthy." Mary shed a few more tears, while her mother silently caressed her; and, recovering her composure, she firmly said, "Yes, mamma, I see it is not the real thing. It will be kinder to him to tell him to put it out of his head."

"And you, my dear?"

"Oh, mamma, you know you could not spare me."

"If this were the real thing, dearest--"

"No," whispered Mary, "I could not leave you alone with papa."

Mrs. Ponsonby went on as if she had not heard: "As it is, I own I am relieved that you should not wish to accept him. I cannot be sure it would be for your happiness."

"I do not think it would be right," said Mary, as if that were her strength.

"He is a dear, n.o.ble fellow, and has the highest, purest principles and feelings. I can"t but love him almost as if he were my own child: I never saw so much sweetness and prettiness about any one, except his mother; and, oh! how far superior he is to her! But then, he is boyish, he is weak--I am afraid he is changeable."

"Not in his affections," said Mary, reproachfully.

"No, but in purposes. An impulse leads him he does not know where, and now, I think, he is acting on excellent motives, without knowing what he is doing. There"s no security that he might not meet the person who--"

"Oh, mamma!"

"He would strive against temptation, but we have no right to expose him to it. To accept him now, it seems to me, would be taking too much advantage of his having been left so long to our mercy, and it might be, that he would become restless and discontented, find out that he had not chosen for himself--regret--and have his tone of mind lowered--"

"Oh, stop, mamma, I would not let it be, on any account."

"No, my dear, I could not part with you where we were not sure the "real thing" was felt for you. If he had been strongly bent on it, he would have conducted matters differently; but he knows no better."

"You and I don"t part," said Mary.

Neither spoke till she renewed her first question,

"What is to be done?"

"Shall I go and speak to him, my dear?"

"Perhaps I had better, if you will come with me."

Then, hesitating--"I will go to my room for a moment, and then I shall be able to do it more steadily."

Mrs. Ponsonby"s thoughts were anxious during the five minutes of Mary"s absence; but she returned composed, according to her promise, whatever might be the throbbings beneath. As Mrs. Ponsonby opened the door, she saw Louis and his aunt together, and was almost amused at their conscious start, the youthful speed with which the one darted into the further end of the corridor, and the undignified haste with which the other hopped down stairs.

By the time they reached the drawing-room, he had recovered himself so as to come forward in a very suitable, simple manner, and Mary said, at once, "Louis, thank you; but we think it would be better not--"

"Not!" exclaimed Fitzjocelyn.

"Not," repeated Mary; "I do not think there is that between us which would make it right."

"There would be!" cried Louis, gaining ardour by the difficulty, "if you would only try. Mrs. Ponsonby, tell her we would make her happy."

"You would try," said Mrs. Ponsonby, kindly; "but I think she is right.

Indeed, Louis, you must forgive me for saying that you are hardly old enough to make up your mind--"

"Madison is younger," said Louis, boyishly enough to make her smile, but earnestly proceeding, "Won"t you try me? Will you not say that if I can be steady and persevering--"

"No," said Mrs. Ponsonby; "it would not be fair towards either of you to make any conditions."

"But if without them, I should do better--Mary, will you say nothing?"

"We had better not think of it," said Mary, her eyes on the ground.

"Why? is it that I am too foolish, too unworthy?"