"Absolutely certain," said Rendel, with a slight change of tone that told his passionate conviction. "I wish you could grasp that in comparison with you, nothing matters to me." "Nothing?" she repeated. "There is nothing," said Rendel, looking at her, "that I would not sacrifice to you--my career, my ambitions, anything you asked for." "I am glad," she said, "that you like me so much, but I don't want you to make sacrifices," and she spoke in all unconsciousness of the number of small sacrifices, of an unheroic aspect perhaps, that Rendel was daily called upon to make for her sake. At this moment Thacker came in with the morning papers, which he laid on the table at Rendel's elbow. "Now then you are happy," said Rachel lightly. "Now you can bury yourself in the papers and not listen to anything I say." "I wonder if there is anything about Stoke Newton and old Crawley's resignation," said Rendel, quite prepared to follow her advice. "I don't suppose he takes a very jovial view of life just now, poor old boy. Oh, how I should hate to be on the shelf!" "I don't think you are likely to be, for the present," said Rachel. And then Rendel, pushing his chair a little away from the table, opened the papers wide, and began scanning them one after another, with the mild and pleasurable excitement of the man who feels confidently abreast of circumstances. Then, as he took up the _Arbiter_, his eye suddenly fell upon a heading that took his breath away. What was this? He dropped the paper with a cry. "What is it, Frank?" said Rachel startled. "Good Heavens! what have they done that for?" he said, springing to his feet in uncontrollable excitement. "Done what?" said Rachel. "Why, they have announced--they have put in something that Lord Stamfordham----" He snatched up the paper again and looked at it eagerly. "It is incredible! and the map too, the very map, at this stage! Well, upon my word, he has made a mistake this time, I do believe." And he still gazed at the paper as though trying to fathom the whole hearing of what he saw. At this moment the door opened, and Thacker came in. "Sir William wished me to ask you for some foolscap paper, ma'am, please," he said, "with lines on it." "Foolscap paper? What is he doing?" said Rachel anxiously. "He is writing, ma'am," said Thacker. "He seems to be doing accounts." "Oh, I wish he wouldn't!" Rachel said. "I must go and see. I'll bring the foolscap paper myself, Thacker. Frank, there is some in your study, isn't there?" "What?" said Rendel, who, still absorbed in what he had just seen, had only dimly heard their colloquy. "Some foolscap paper," she repeated. "There is some in your study?" "Yes, yes, in my writing-table," he said absently.