my feeble attempts? You have grand ideas—you have a high standard in such matters. T ought at least to bring in a band of music or a company of mountebanks."
"One mountebank is enough, and you do very well. Pray go on, and in another ten minutes I shall begin to laugh."
"I assure you that I am very serious," said Ralph. " You do really ask a great deal."
"I don't know what you mean. I ask nothing!"
"You accept nothing," said Ralph. She coloured, and now suddenly it seemed to her that she guessed his meaning. But why should he speak to her of such things? He hesitated a little, and then he continued. "There is something I should like very much to say to you. It's a question I wish to ask. It seems to me I have a right to ask it, because I have a kind of interest in the answer."
"Ask what you will," Isabel answered gently, " and I will try and satisfy you."
"Well, then, I hope you won't mind my saying that Lord Warburton has told me of something that has passed between you." Isabel started a little ; she sat looking at her open fan.
"Very good ; I suppose it was natural he should tell you."
"I have his leave to let you know he has done so. He has some hope still," said Ralph.
"Stll?"
"He had it a few days ago."
"I don't believe he has any now," said the girl.
"I am very sorry for him, then; he is such a fine fellow."
"Pray, did he ask you to talk to me?"
"No, not that. But he told me because he couldn't help it. We are old friends, and he was greatly disappointed. He sent me a line asking me to come and see him, and I rode over to Lockleigh the day before he and his sister lunched with us. He was very heavy-hearted; he had just got a letter from you."
"Did he show you the letter?" asked Isabel, with momentary loftiness.
"By no means. But he told me it was a neat refusal. I was very sorry for him," Ralph repeated.
For some moments Isabel said nothing; then at last, "Do you know how often he had seen me? Five or six times."
"That's to your glory."
"It's not for' that I say it."
"What then do you say it for? Not to prove that poor
