"Why, if girls will be such fools as to think they have hearts, and then throw them away, they must make up their minds to be laughed at. Lady Mary is throwing herself away--her _inamorato_ is still at Rosley House." It was lucky the Countess did not perceive the state of surprise with which her communication was received. Lady Alice again placed her cheek upon her hand, and sank into a deeper reverie than ever. "Sir Stratford also is at Rosley, and if he rides over this evening, I have given orders for him to be admitted. You will conduct yourself as I wish. Come, Matilda, let us leave your sister to her happy thoughts." Her happy thoughts! the Lady Alice was not one of those indifferent beings panegyrized by the Countess; she had given her whole heart to Henry Lawleigh--and now to hear that he loved another! She gazed along the magnificent park, and longed for the solitude and silence of the wilderness beyond. There, any where but in that sickening room, where the communication had been made to her, she would breath freer. She wrapt her mantilla over her head, and walked down the flight of steps into the park. Deeply immersed in her own sad contemplation, she pursued her way under the avenue trees, and, opening the wicket gate, found herself on the little terrace of the wood--the terrace so lonely, so quiet--where she had listened, where she had smiled. And now to know that he was false! She sat down on the bench at the foot of the oak, and covered her face with her hands, and wept. A low voice was at her ear. "Alice!" She looked up, and saw bending over her, with eyes full of admiration and surprise, Harry Lawleigh. Gradually as she looked, his features assumed a different expression, his voice also altered its tone. "You are weeping, Lady Alice," he said--"I scarcely expected to find you in so melancholy a mood, after the joyous intelligence I heard to-day." "Joyous!" repeated Alice, without seeming to comprehend the meaning of the word. "What intelligence do you allude to?" "Intelligence which I only shared with the whole party at Rosley Castle. There was no secret made of the happy event." "I really can't understand you. What is it you mean? who communicated the news?" "The fortunate victor announced his conquest himself. Sir Stratford received the congratulations of every one from the duke down to--to--myself." "I will not pretend to misunderstand you," said Lady Alice--"my mother, but a few minutes ago, conveyed to me the purport of Sir Stratford's visit." She paused and sighed. "And you replied?" enquired Lawleigh. "I gave no reply. I was never consulted on the subject. I know not in what words my mother conveyed her answer."