‘On my word and honour,’ Paul answers.

‘Well, Mr Dalrymple asked me—­to—­marry him—­there!’

‘What, Jimmy!’ exclaims Paul.  ’I’m so glad; he’s quite the nicest fellow I know.  I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart.’

‘Thank you,’ says Lippa, simply.  ’But you won’t tell anybody, will you?  Nobody knows, not even Mabel—­’

‘But, my dear child, why did you tell me, of all people first?’ asks he.

’I had to tell somebody, and I know George couldn’t keep anything from Mabel, or Mabel from him.’

’I hope you will be very happy, but look, Lady Dadford is beckoning to us—­’

‘What early birds you are,’ says her ladyship.  ’I needn’t ask if you are the worse for last night’s dissipation, for you don’t look it, either of you—­’

‘I’m sure Philippa will say that it did her an immense amount of good,’ replies Paul, with a wink at Lippa, which makes her tremble in her shoes as to what may be coming next.

It has been arranged that the whole of the party should go for a picnic to a spot about five miles off.  ‘Just to get out of the way,’ says Lord Dadford, ’while the house is being put straight again; sort yourselves, sort yourselves,’ he adds, standing at the front door, surrounded by guests and vehicles.  ’I reserve to myself the pleasure of driving Mrs Mankaster,’ (the vicar’s wife) for both he and his spouse, a portly lady, resplendent in stiff brown silk, have been invited to take part in the outing.

By degrees the carriages are filled and off they go, Lippa finding to her chagrin that she is seated by Paul in a dog-cart, Jimmy and Lady Anne behind, Lord Helmdon is on in front with some other people.

‘I’m sorry for you,’ says Ponsonby, ’but if you wish your secret to be kept from the others, you must not be seen too much together.’

Lippa sighs.

‘So love-sick already,’ says he laughing.

‘How rude you are, I wasn’t sighing a bit, I caught my breath.’

‘Oh, I like that,’ is the reply.

‘I’m sure you can never have,’ hesitatingly, ‘been in love, have you?’ and she glances up at him.  ‘I’m so sorry I said that,’ she adds, noticing the pained look that comes into his eyes, and then a silence ensues.

‘Look here, Lippa,’ says he at length in rather a lower tone, ’don’t you know, has no one told you that I was married five years ago.’

‘Married?’ exclaims Miss Seaton in astonishment, ’oh, I’m so sorry I said that.’

‘It does not matter in the least,’ he replies, ’but I should think no one has been more desperately in love than I was once.’

‘She, your wife, is dead?’ asks Lippa quietly.

‘I would to Heaven she were,’ is the quick reply.  ’No, child, don’t think of me as a lonely widower,’ this with a laugh that is hard and grating, ‘I’m worse than that.’

‘Poor Paul,’ says Lippa gently, while her eyes fill with tears, and she lays her hand on his unoccupied one, the hard look quits his handsome face, and he sighs.