"Even after you are married, when it will be most difficult to keep a secret from Doris, you will keep this--you will never let her know that I am her mother?" "No; you may trust me until death," he said. Then for some minutes there was silence. Lady Linleigh was the first to break it. "Do you know how I shall try to reward you, Earle?" she asked. "I think less of the reward than of the kindness that prompts it," he replied, gratefully. "I shall do my best to further your interests in life--to help you to reach such a position as shall please Doris. I will hasten your marriage by every means in my power, and I will love you as though you were my own son. Do not look so grateful; they will wonder what I am saying to you. You understand, once and for all, I shall never allude to this again." The next moment Lady Doris was laughingly accusing the countess of having asked her to sing, in order that she might talk at her ease. "We are quite a family party," said Lord Linleigh. "Earle, do you play billiards?" "No," he replied, "I do not." "Then come at once, and let me give you your first lesson. No man can hope to succeed in this world who cannot play billiards." Doris went into the billiard-room to see the first lesson given and received, while Lady Estelle pondered over the same problem--did Doris love Earle, or did she not? On the morning following the earl and the poet had a long conversation. It was a fine spring day, with the odor of early violets and the song of the birds in the air. "Come out with me, Mr. Moray," said the earl; "we can talk more at ease under the broad blue sky." Then, as they walked through the stately domain, the earl talked more seriously than he had ever done before. "Some men," he said, "might object to seeing an engagement of the kind fulfilled. I do not. When Doris, as you knew, had no name, no home, you would have been proud to make her your wife; she, in her turn, should be, and is, I do not doubt, proud to reward your love. Now, it would be very easy for me, Earle, to imitate one of the fathers in heavy comedy, and say: 'Take her--be happy; here are fifty thousand pounds and my blessing.' I repeat, that would be easy, but it would be an injustice to you. I prefer that you shall make a position for yourself, and win her; you will be happier." "Yes," replied Earle, "a thousand times happier. I love her so dearly--pardon me, my lord--so dearly, that I would work, as Jacob did, seven years to win her, and, because of my great love, they would seem as one day." "I will take your fortunes in hand," said the earl, "as I told you before. It would be easy to give you one; but I will give you what is far better--the means of making one. I will place you in such a position that it shall not be in the power of any person to say, when he hears of my daughter's marriage, that she had made a _mesalliance_." "I thank you, my lord; my deeds, my life shall thank you," said Earle, earnestly.