"What can it be, I wonder?" She had her conjecture as to what, but forbore declaring it. She had not forgotten--how could she?--his confession, made in passionate appeal, at their last interview. She knew his indifference at their parting was the purest affectation, and that the fish he had gone to catch had not been caught. Recalling that scene, her sister could have answered the question with a near approach to the truth. But she, too, retentive of her real thoughts, but said in careless rejoinder,-- "Oh! I suppose the events of the war, which have had a saddening effect on everybody." "Not everybody. These self-invited guests of ours are at least an exception. Listen to them!" By this the officers of the Prince's escort had entered the house; and from their loud talk and laughter were evidently making themselves at home and free with everything. They could be heard issuing commands, and calling out orders to the servants, as though the place were a public inn. "Like as not," continued Vaga, still incredulous about Reginald Trevor's conversion, "like as not your `modest young fellow of rather melancholy temperament' is laughing among the loudest of them. I fancy I hear his voice." "No, Vag, I don't think you do. I can't." "Well, may be not. And it's to be hoped he's sobered, as you say. He needed it. Strange if he is though, in the retinue of Prince Rupert, whose precept and example are more likely to have a reverse tendency. Possibly Master Rej is only humble in the presence of the High Mightiness, his master. When the big dog is by, the little one has to be on its good behaviour." "I scarce think it's that; and you may be wronging him." "If I am I shall be glad to know it. But how odd all this?" she added, yielding to a sudden recollection. "Time was when you, Sab, were all the other way about Rej Trevor; used to caution me against him!" She had faced towards her sister, and stood with hands full of loose hair that fell as a cataract of molten gold over her ivory shoulders. "True, I did. And with reasons then. Our father was against him more than I; which may have influenced me." "And now?" "Now I admit never having believed him so very bad--I mean at heart." "Oh! nobody ever said he had a very bad heart. His head was more blamed for getting him ill repute." "His habits rather." "Say habits, then. But why are you thus defending him?" "Because of his seeming so friendly to us. All he said to me just now, with his manner, was as one who felt sorry at our being thus intruded on. He knows it's not agreeable to us--cannot be. And his behaviour to Win--that confirms my belief that he has no hostile feelings to us."