Kindly he pressed the fairy fingers of Violet, whose merry blue eyes gazed with loving kindness into his, for the girl had suddenly struck a chord of great tenderness in his heart by so frankly calling him 'Trevor,' while another, who was wont to do so once, was now styling him ceremoniously 'Captain Chute.' Clare seemed sensible of the situation in which her somewhat girlish sister placed them; for a moment her face looked haughty and aristocratic, but the next its normal sweet expression of character, all that is womanly, beautiful, and tender, stole into it, and she fairly laughed when Violet twitched off her hat and veil, and, seating herself beside Trevor Chute, declared that the Row should not be honoured with her presence that day. Though naturally playful, frank, and almost hoydenish--if such an expression could be applied to a girl of Violet's appearance, and one so highly bred, too--she gazed with something of wonder, curiosity, and undeniable interest on the handsome face, the tender eyes, and well-knit figure of this once lover of her elder sister, whose story, with all the romance of a young girl's nature, she so genuinely pitied, whom she remembered so well as being her particular friend when she was permitted to come home for the holidays, who had petted and toyed with her so often, as with a little sister, and of whom she had only heard a little from time to time as being absent with Beverley in a distant, and to her unknown, land; and now, girl-like, she began to blunder, to the confusion and annoyance of her more stately sister. 'Trevor Chute here _after all_!' she exclaimed, with a merry burst of laughter. 'Why! it seems all like a story in one of Mudie's novels!' 'What does?' asked Clare, with a little asperity of tone. 'Can you ask?' persisted Violet. 'His visit is a very melancholy one; and if Captain Chute will excuse me, I shall go and prepare poor Ida for it,' said Clare, rising. 'What does it all mean?' asked Violet, again capturing the willing hands of their visitor, as Clare hastily, and not without some confusion, swept away through the outer drawing-room. 'Why doesn't she call you Trevor, as I do? _Captain_ Chute sounds so formal! I am sure I have often heard her talk to Ida of you as "Trevor" when they thought I was asleep, yet was very much awake indeed. So you are Clare's first love, are you?' 'I am glad to find that I am not quite forgotten,' replied Chute, smiling in earnest now; 'you were quite a child when I--I----' 'Left this for India.' 'Yes.' '_Why_ did you go?' 'To join my regiment.' 'Leaving Clare behind you? I must have a long, long talk with you about this, and you shall be my escort in the Park the next time I ride with Evelyn Desmond, for her brother is perpetually dangling after Clare, eyeing her with his stupid china-blue eyes, and doing his dreary best to be pleasing, like a great booby as he is.' CHAPTER IV. IDA.