"
"Elster's folly, Val! Lady Maude may have thought they did."
"At any rate she knew of my engagement to Anne."
"Then there is nothing in it?"
"There shall be nothing in it," was the emphatic answer. "Anne was my
first love, and she will be my last. You must promise to give her to me
as soon as you return from Cannes."
"About that you must ask her father. I dare say he will do so."
Lord Hartledon rose from his seat; held Mrs. Ashton's hand between his
whilst he said his adieu, and stooped to kiss her with a son's affection.
She was a little surprised to find it was his final farewell. They were
not going to start until Monday. But Hartledon could not have risked that
cross-questioning again; rather would he have sailed away for the savage
territories at once. He went downstairs searching for Anne, and found her
in the room where you first saw her--her own. She looked up with quite an
affectation of surprise when he entered, although she had probably gone
there to await him. The best of girls are human.
"You ran away, Anne, whilst mamma and I held our conference?"
"I hope it has been satisfactory," she answered demurely, not looking up,
and wondering whether he suspected how violently her heart was beating.
"Partly so. The end was all right. Shall I tell it you?"
"The end! Yes, if you will," she replied unsuspectingly.
"The decision come to is, that a certain young friend of ours is to be
converted, with as little delay as circumstances may permit, into Lady
Hartledon.
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