“Well, Aunt Tom will be very glad of that, for she was very miserable, and was afraid he would go on being miserable too. He went away feeling pretty bad, I think, though I did not see him. I was at Monckton Manor with Oscar. I was surprised he didn’t come over to say good-bye to us. Once I rather thought that he was falling in love with May.” “Oh, dear, no!” answered Effie quickly. “That I am sure he was not!” She spoke almost irritably, and Sheila answered at once— “Perhaps not, but he used to go there very often. May never liked him, so perhaps she got bored and gave him a hint. Anyway, he stopped going rather suddenly, and did not even say good-bye.” “I suspect he found May a very empty-headed girl. I daresay he was thinking of her when he told me how difficult it had been, when I was away, to find anyone with whom he could exchange ideas with any sense of satisfaction. Girls were all so selfish and empty-headed, he said. I thought he was rather severe, but that was his idea. I told him that he mustn’t be hard on them, for perhaps they had never had the time to read and think as I have.” “Well, May is not empty-headed!” answered Sheila warmly; “but Oscar may have been mistaken in thinking Cyril admired her and went often. Perhaps it was only for the boys he went. I know May has never cared for him.” “No, I don’t think she would have the mind to appreciate him. Cyril does not wear his heart upon his sleeve.” “May is engaged to North,” said Sheila, with a little smile dimpling the corners of her lips. Effie gave a slight toss of her head and laughed. “A very suitable match! I should think they would just suit one another!” “I think they do,” answered Sheila, laughing. “I have never seen two people more thoroughly happy together.” “I almost wonder Mr. Lawrence approved, though,” added Effie. “North is so thoroughly commercial in all his views.” “His views seem to suit May, at any rate, and he can give her a comfortable home away from the town. But she is too much interested in the works to care about being far away. She wants to understand everything and help in everything. I think she will be splendid when she gets her chance.” Effie listened with some wonder to the sort of thing which commanded May’s enthusiasm, and then said with a little shrug— “Well, I hope they will be very happy. All that sort of thing is very estimable, and people without nerves and keen senses may be able to do it, but I don’t think I could.” “Nobody would expect it of you, Effie,” answered Sheila, with a sarcasm of which neither was conscious.