The guests had gone. Mrs. Hodge and Nellie, who were to keep the Colonel company for a little while, had walked down to Denborough to tell Mrs. Roberts all about the event of the day; and the Colonel was bustling about, getting the presents packed up, and counting, with some surprise, the empty champagne bottles. He was thus engaged when the door of the little room opened, to let Janet and Dale out. "Dear me! I thought you'd gone. Nellie asked me, and I told her so." "I am just going, Colonel Smith," said Janet. "So am I," said Dale. The Colonel watched them go together. "There's another man going to lose his daughter," he said. "By Jove, I thought it was to be Nellie Fane!" When Janet left Dale at the Grange gates, she went to her father's study. "Lord, child," said the Squire, "are you only just back?" "I stayed to see them off." "Your mother did that, and she's been back two hours. She couldn't find you." "Papa," said Janet, sitting on the arm of his chair, "I'm very much ashamed of myself." "What have you been, doing now? Ill treating that poor young man again?" "No." "He's not a bad fellow, you know, after all--honest and good--not brilliant, of course." "Not brilliant, papa?" "I don't mean he's a fool; I believe he's an efficient officer----" "Officer? Why, you're talking of Gerard!" "Of course I am." "How can you imagine I was thinking of Gerard? I meant Mr. Bannister." "Bannister? Why, you told me only the other day----" "Yes. That's why." "Why what, child?" "Why I'm ashamed." The Squire raised himself and looked severely at his daughter. "A precious fuss you've made about nothing." "I can't help it, papa. I don't want to, but he insists." "He seems to know how to manage you, which is more than I do. There, go and tell your mother. And, Jan!" "Yes." "If ever you say you won't have him again----" "Yes, papa." "By Jove, you shan't!" said the Squire with emphasis, and he added, as his daughter fled after a hasty kiss, "Perhaps that'll keep her quiet." Dale found nobody but Philip Hume to congratulate him, and Philip was, as usual now, busy over his little plan. "Oh, she's come round, has she?" he asked, with no sign of surprise. Dale said she had, and Philip meditatively took up his little plan. "Have you told Nellie?" he asked. "No. I haven't seen her." "She never knew you had asked Miss Delane before?" "No. Nobody knew but her people and you. I think she had an idea I liked Jan." "Yes, but not more?" "No. I don't think so." Philip whistled gently, and twisted the little plan in his fingers. Dale, in his good humor, said: "Why the deuce, Phil, do you go on fidgeting with that thing? You're like an old hen over an egg." "Yes; I don't know that it is any good. I think I'll destroy it." And he tore it slowly in two, and threw it in the fire.