She said no more, for at that moment Coralie returned; she had been in the garden gathering some flowers for Clare. The brightest bloom was on her face; the brightest light was in her eye. Looking at her, it was impossible to believe that she was anything but a light-hearted happy girl. She glanced round the room. "Your visitors are gone," she said. "I felt sure they were staying for dinner." "Coralie," I asked, "Lady Thesiger tells me she has been here a good deal, yet you do not seem to be on very intimate terms with her?" "No," she said, with that frank smile that was lovely enough to charm any one. "I neither like nor admire Lady Thesiger." Clare uttered a little cry of astonishment. "Why not?" I asked. "I should not like to prejudice you against them, Sir Edgar; but as you ask me, I will tell you. The Thesigers have but one object." "What is it?" I inquired for she had paused abruptly, and seemed to be entirely engrossed in her flowers. "The one aim they have had in view for several years past is to see Agatha mistress of Crown Anstey. She was educated solely and entirely for that purpose." "I do not believe it!" cried Clare, indignantly. "I should never expect you to do so. You are too unworldly--too good; you know nothing of the manners of fashionable people. Sir Barnard knew it. They fairly hunted him down; they were always driving over here, or asking Sir Barnard and Miles there; they were continually contriving fresh means to throw Miles and Agatha together." I would not please her by showing my anger. "Perhaps," I said, carelessly, "Miles admired her; he may even have been her lover." She turned to me with a strange, glittering smile, a look I could not fathom on her face. "No," she replied: "Miles knew all about it; he was too sensible to be caught by the insipid charms of a mere school-girl. Sir Barnard was not so wise; he would have liked to join the two estates--he spoke of it very often--but Miles never gave the matter a serious thought." There was such unconcealed bitterness in her words and look--such malice in that glittering smile, I turned away half in disgust. "All our neighbors understand Lady Thesiger's politics," she continued; "they have been a source of great amusement for some time." "Miss Thesiger is not a day above eighteen," I said, fairly angry at last; "so that there can not have been much time for manoeuvring." "Ah!" she said, "how I admire you, Sir Edgar. That simple, noble faith you have in women is most beautiful to me; one sees it so seldom in those who have lived always among fashionable men and women." A little speech that was intended to remind me how strange and fresh I was to this upper world. I began to find something like dislike to mademoiselle growing up in my mind; but I spoke to her of the Thesigers no more. CHAPTER VII.