"But I don't. Mamma, I never told you, but long ago, more than a year, I lent _Sintram_ to Mr Charteris, without telling him how fond I was of it. He gave it back to me all smelling of smoke, and said that he couldn't make head or tail of it, but it struck him as uncommon silly." "But, my dear, surely that ought to have warned you that your tastes were not congenial. What can have made you think your feelings had changed?" "Oh, mamma, I don't know." Honour paused for a moment, then hurried on. "One doesn't remember that kind of thing when a person is dead, you know. And there seemed to be so many nice points about him that I had never guessed----" "But which Mr Gerrard brought out? Well, your objection can't apply----" Lady Cinnamond broke off hastily. "I won't worry you any more to-night, dear." "Good-night, mamma. I am sorry I was cross." Lady Cinnamond left her reluctantly, for the rest of the family were on the tiptoe of expectation to hear what had happened, and she had earnestly hoped to be able to silence their jeers with the announcement that Honour was engaged like other people. "Well, mamma, is he coming to see papa in the morning?" demanded Mrs Cowper eagerly, as soon as her mother appeared. "No, dear; I am sorry to say she has refused him again." "Fastidious little puss!" chuckled Sir Arthur. "Faith! it'll be the other that will come to-morrow." "Isn't Honour a queer quizzical sort of girl?" inquired Mrs Cowper earnestly of her parents. "Do you think she will accept Mr Gerrard, mamma?" "My dear, I am afraid to say, but I should fear not." "Why should she, if she don't want him?" said Sir Arthur briskly. "Rosita, I don't like to see this eagerness to get rid of your daughters. It reflects badly upon your bringing-up of them, ma'am." "Oh no, papa; how can you say so? It speaks well for mamma's happiness in her married life." "I see Charles hasn't cured you of your pertness yet, miss--ma'am, I should say. Poor fellow! I wonder if I ought to have told him what he was bringing upon himself?" Justice demanded that Marian should immediately rise and pull her father's hair, but in the middle of the operation she paused tragically. "Something has just struck me," she said. "Why do we all take it for granted that Honour must end by marrying one of these two men? It may be some one we have never thought of that she really cares for." "My dear, don't imagine fresh complications," said her mother in alarm. "All the available young men have proposed, so that she could have had any one she liked."