memorable portions, and having them privately printed as a memorial of those bright days.  Babie and Armine were there looking them over with him, and the former would fain have referred to Sydney, but on looking for her, saw she was out among the flowers in the glass-covered balcony, too much absorbed even to notice her summons.  Only Jock came back with her, and sat turning over the numbers in rather a dreamy way.

The ladies and the Colonel were sent home in Mrs. Evelyn’s carriage, where Ellen purred about Esther’s happiness and good fortune all the way back.  Caroline lingered, somewhat purposely, writing a note that she might see the young men when they came back.

They wished her good-night in their several fashions.

“Good-night, mother.  Well, some people are born with silver spoons!”

“Good-night, mother dear.  Don’t you think Fordham looks dreadful?”

“Oh, no, Armie; much better than when I came up to town.”

“Good-night, Mother Carey.  If those young folks make all their parties so jolly, it will be the pleasantest house in London!  Good-night!”

“Mother,” said Jock, as the cousin, softly humming a tune, sprang up the stairs, “does the wind sit in that quarter?”

“I am grievously afraid that it does,” she said.

“It is no wonder,” he said, doctoring the wick of his candle with her knitting-needle.  “Did you know it before?”

“I began to suspect it after the accident, but I was not sure; nor am I now.”

“I am,” said Jock, quietly.

“She is a stupid girl!” burst out his mother.

“No! there’s no blame to either of them.  That’s one comfort.  She gave me full warning, and he knew nothing about it, nor ever shall.”

“He is just as much a medical student as you!  That vexes me.”

“Yes, but he did not give up the service for it, when she implored him.”

“A silly girl!  O Jock, if you had but come down to Fordham.”

“It might have made no odds.  Friar was so aggressively jolly after his Christmas visit, that I fancy it was done then.  Besides, just look at us together!”

“He will never get your air of the Guards.”

“Which is preposterously ridiculous in the hospital,” said Jock, endeavouring to smile.  “Never mind, mother.  It was all up with me two years ago, as I very well knew.  Good-night.  You’ve only got me the more whole and undivided, for the extinction of my will-of-the-wisp.”

She saw he had rather say no more, and only returned his fervent embrace with interest; but Babie knew she was restless and unhappy all night, and would not ask why, being afraid to hear that it was about Fordham, who coughed more, and looked frailer.

He never went out in the evening now, and only twice to the House, when his vote was more than usually important; but Mrs. Evelyn was taking Sydney into society, and the shrinking Esther needed a chaperon much more, being so little aware of her own beauty, that she was wont to think something amiss with her hair or her dress when she saw people looking at her.