"Ah, yes! when she suffered, or when I have thought she loved me less than I desired." "That must have been an idle and vain thought. Your mother! does she resemble you?" "I wish I could think so. Oh, if you knew her! I have longed so often that you were acquainted with each other! It was she who taught me to sing your songs." "My dear Mrs. Hare, we may as well throw up our cards," said the keen clear voice of Lord Vargrave: "you have played most admirably, and I know that your last card will be the ace of trumps; still the luck is against us." "No, no; pray play it out, my lord." "Quite useless, ma'am," said Sir John, showing two honours. "We have only the trick to make." "Quite useless," echoed Lumley, tossing down his sovereigns, and rising with a careless yawn. "How d'ye do, Maltravers?" Maltravers rose; and Vargrave turned to Evelyn, and addressed her in a whisper. The proud Maltravers walked away, and suppressed a sigh; a moment more, and he saw Lord Vargrave occupying the chair he had left vacant. He laid his hand on Cleveland's shoulder. "The carriage is waiting,--are you ready?" CHAPTER X. OBSCURIS vera involvens.*--VIRGIL. * "Wrapping truth in obscurity." A DAY or two after the date of the last chapter, Evelyn and Caroline were riding out with Lord Vargrave and Mr. Merton, and on returning home they passed through the village of Burleigh. "Maltravers, I suppose, has an eye to the county one of these days," said Lord Vargrave, who honestly fancied that a man's eyes were always directed towards something for his own interest or advancement; "otherwise he could not surely take all this trouble about workhouses and paupers. Who could ever have imagined my romantic friend would sink into a country squire?" "It is astonishing what talent and energy he throws into everything he attempts," said the parson. "One could not, indeed, have supposed that a man of genius could make a man of business."