Was Mark at all surprised at the languid Harold Caffyn exerting himself in this way? If he was, he was too grateful for the phenomenon to care very much about seeking to explain it. Caffyn was a friend of his, he had divined that Holroyd's return was inconvenient: very likely he had known of Vincent's hopeless attachment for Mabel, and he was plainly anxious to get a companion at the Lakes; anyone of these was motive enough. Soon after, Holroyd joined them in the sitting-room. Caffyn, after more warm congratulations and eager questioning, broached the Wastwater scheme. 'You may as well,' he concluded, 'London's beastly at this time of year. You're looking as if the voyage hadn't done you much good, too, and it will be grand on the mountains just now; come with me by the early train to-morrow, you've no packing to do. I'm sure we shall pull together all right.' 'I'm sure, of that,' said Vincent; 'and if I had nothing to keep me in town--but I've not seen the Langtons yet, you know. And, by-the-bye, you can tell me where I shall find them now. I suppose they have not moved?' 'Now I've got you!' laughed Caffyn; 'if the Langtons are the only obstacle, you can't go and see them, for the very good reason that they're away--abroad somewhere!' 'Are they all there?' 'Every one of 'em; even the father, I fancy, just now.' 'Do you know when they're likely to be back?' 'Haven't heard,' said Caffyn calmly; 'they must come back soon, you see, for the lovely Mabel's wedding.' Mark held his breath as he listened; what was Caffyn going to say next? Vincent's face altered suddenly. 'Then Mabel--Miss Langton, is going to be married?' he asked in a curiously quiet tone. 'Rather,' said Caffyn; 'brilliant match in its way, I understand. Not much money on his side, but one of the coming literary fellows, and all that kind of thing, you know; just the man for that sort of girl. Didn't you know about it?' 'No,' said Holroyd uneasily; he was standing with his elbow on the mantelpiece, with his face turned from the other two; 'I didn't know--what is his name?' 'Upon my soul I forget--heard it somewhere.--Ashburn, you don't happen to know it, do you?' 'I!' cried Mark, shrinking; 'no, I--I haven't heard.' 'Well,' continued Caffyn, 'it isn't of much consequence, is it? I shall hit upon it soon, I dare say. They say she's deucedly fond of him, though. Can't fancy disdainful Miss Mabel condescending to be deucedly fond of any one--but so they tell me. And I say, Holroyd, to come back to the point, is there any reason why you should stay in town?' 'None,' said Holroyd, with pain ringing in his voice, 'none in the world why I should stay anywhere now.' 'Well, won't you come with me? I start the first thing to-morrow--it will do you good.' 'It's kind of you to ask,' said Vincent, 'but I can't desert Ashburn in that way after he took the trouble to come down and meet me; we've not seen one another for so long,--have we, Mark?'