At the same moment the face of Marcus Glen seemed to rise up before her, but she put it aside as she lifted the hand that Elbraham had just kissed. "He could not have brought me such a ring as that," she said to herself; and then, "Heigho! poor fellow; but it isn't my fault. I must tell him I am only doing what my dear aunts wish." She placed the ring against her deep-red lips and kissed it very softly, her beautiful eyes with their long fringed lids looking dark and dewy, and full of a delicious languor that made Mr Elbraham sit with his arms resting upon his knees, and gaze at her with half-open mouth, while he felt a strange feeling of triumph at his power as a man of the world, and thought of how he would show off his young wife to all he knew, and gloat over their envy. Then a sense of satisfaction and love of self came over him, and he indulged in a little glorification of Mr Elbraham. "Litton's a humbug," he said to himself; "I can get on better without his advice than with it. Women like a fellow to be downright with them, and say what he means." Volume 2, Chapter X. GLEN DECLARES WAR. Dick Millet placed a note in his friend's hand one day during parade, and Glen thrust it out of sight on the instant, glancing sidewise to see if Major Malpas had noticed the act, and then biting his lip with vexation at Dick being so foolish. A good deal of the foolishness was on his own side, for had he taken the letter in a matter-of-fact manner, no one would have paid the slightest heed, or fancied that it came from a lady in a clandestine way. But, as is generally the case in such matters, the person most anxious to keep his correspondence a secret is one of the first to betray himself, and, feeling this, Glen was in no very good humour. The secret correspondence he had been carrying on with Clotilde was very sweet; but it annoyed him sadly, for his was not a nature to like the constant subterfuge. By nature frank and open, there was to him something exceedingly degrading in the fact that servants were bribed and the aunts deceived; and with a stern determination to put an end to it all, and frankly speak to the Honourable Misses Dymcox concerning his attachment to Clotilde, he went on with his duties till the men were dismissed. "How could you be so stupid, Dick!" he exclaimed, as soon as they were clinking back, sabre and spur, to their quarters. "Foolish!" said the little fellow, with a melodramatic laugh; "I thought you would like to get your letter. I don't care about keeping all the fun to myself." "What's the matter?" said Glen, smiling. "Has the fair Marie been snubbing you?" "No. Look at your letter," said the little fellow tragically. Glen placed his hand in his breast, but, altering his mind, he walked on to his room before taking out the letter and glancing at it; then leaping up, he strode out into the passage and across to Dick's quarters, to find that gentleman looking the very image of despair.