"But what is all this?" cried Lord Otford. He unfolded the paper and took it under the lamp. As soon as he had read the first lines, he gave a cry of amused surprise. "What do you say now, Lucy?"—Then he read aloud, "John Sayle, of Pomander Walk, in the Parish of Chiswick, bachelor, and Marjolaine Lachesnais, also of Pomander Walk, spinster—" "Under our very noses!" exclaimed Madame, half vexed and half amused. "And old Dryasdust has been harbouring Jack! And now he ’s gone to tell him!—Lucy, let’s see what desperate thing they ’ll do next. Come!" He drew her gently into the Gazebo, and for a moment there was complete silence in the Walk. But suddenly this was shattered by a fierce outcry in Doctor Sternroyd’s passage. The door was flung open and the Doctor appeared, vainly trying to bar Jack’s way. "But, my dear young friend—" the Doctor was protesting. "Let me pass!" shouted Jack, livid, and thrusting his host aside. "For five years I ’ve been a sailor, and I can’t think of the words I want!" "Dear, dear! Tut, tut!" said the Doctor; but he did not wait. The conspiracy at any rate was off his mind. He retired into his house, and carefully locked the door. Jack rushed to Marjolaine’s house and boldly performed a long rat-tat with the brass knocker, muttering to himself all the time, "The old fool! Oh, my stars! the silly old fool!" Nanette appeared. "Tell Miss Marjory that—" began Jack, violently. "Plait-il?" said Nanette, impassively. "Oh, hang!—Er—deet ah Madermerzell—" But Marjolaine ran into the passage. "Jack!" she cried, much alarmed. "Oh! What is it?" "Come out! Come out!" cried Jack, seizing her hand and dragging her hastily down the steps, to Nanette’s horror and indignation. "Ah, mais!" the latter exclaimed, "Oú est donc Madame?" and went in to look for her. Jack was incoherent. "Sternroyd!" he gasped. "He had the licence! Had it! We were to be married to-morrow! And he ’s gone and given it—to whom do you think?—to my father!" "Oh!" exclaimed poor Marjolaine, "then all is over!" "No!" he cried, with magnificent determination. "All ’s to begin again! Take me to your mother. Then I ’ll take you to my father." Lord Otford and Madame Lachesnais had come out of the summer-house. "That is what you should have done at first, sir!" said Lord Otford. "Father!" cried Jack, amazed. With a half-frightened cry of "Maman!" Marjolaine threw herself in her mother’s arms. But Jack was not to be trifled with. He faced his father heroically. "It’s no use, sir! You can cut me off with a shilling, but I mean to marry Marjory!" Marjolaine was not to be outdone in courage. "Maman!" she said, with a radiant face, "he came back; and I ’m going to marry him." Lord Otford turned gravely to Madame. "What do you say?" "I say, God bless them." "Maman!" cried Marjolaine, hugging her. "And I, too, say God bless them!" cried Lord Otford, heartily.