Mademoiselle was out on the lawn as I rode up to the door.  She came to meet me, her glittering eyes on my face.

“Have you enjoyed your visit?” was the first question she asked.

“More than I ever enjoyed anything in my life.  You did not tell me what a beautiful neighbor I had at Harden Manor.”

“I never thought of it,” she replied, carelessly.  “Agatha Thesiger is only a school-girl.”

“Then school-girls are very different from what I thought them,” was my reply, and mademoiselle turned away with a strange smile.

CHAPTER VI.

No matter what I did, that face was always before me.  If I read it looked up at me with sweet, serene eyes from the pages of my book.  It rose between me and the blue heavens.  I saw it in every flower.  It haunted me until I could have cried out for respite from the pleasure that was yet half pain.

Poets sing of the joy and the rapture of love.  Who knows its pain?  For pain it surely is when no sleep comes near you, and the every-day duties of life only weary you, and your sole desire is to dream over looks and words you cannot forget.  It is surely pain when a thousand doubts assail you, when you weigh yourself in the balance and find yourself wanting.

A hundred times each day I found myself wondering whether Sir John would think me good enough for his daughter.  She was not his heiress, I knew, for he had a son at college, but she was lovely, high-born, accomplished, and my one great puzzle was whether he would think me a good match for her.

Other doubts came to madden me.  Perhaps she was already engaged.  She had doubtless a number of admirers.  Who was I that I should dare to hope for her favor?

It was only two days since I had seen her, and I longed to see her again.  A fierce, wild desire to look once more into that sweet face took possession of me.  When my longing was gratified the very gates of Paradise seemed opened to me.  One beautiful morning Lady Thesiger and Agatha came over to Crown Anstey.  It so happened that I was in Clare’s room when they arrived, and Coralie, too, was there, attending to the flowers, giving them fresh water, cutting off dead leaves and gathering the fairest buds.

Lady Thesiger and Miss Thesiger were suddenly announced.  Clare looked eagerly, and I just caught the dark, bitter expression on Coralie’s face; then they entered.  As a matter of course, I introduced Lady Thesiger first.  She stooped down to kiss the sweet face that seemed to win universal love.  Then I remember taking Agatha’s hand and leading her up to Clare.  What could they have thought of me?  I forgot everything except that the two women I loved best were there together.

Lady Thesiger then turned toward mademoiselle.  There was no kindly hand extended, no warm greeting, no friendly words.  Lady Thesiger made the most formal of bows, Coralie returned it by one more formal still, Agatha did the same, and a strange, constrained silence fell upon us all.