"It is because I want to settle down in England and make it my home. Because I want a wife to make that home welcome to me, because I have long loved one woman and have only waited until my return to tell her so. Ida, you are that woman! I love you better than anything in this world! Tell me that you will be my wife!" For answer she drew herself away from him, pale, and trembling visibly, and trying to speak. But no word came from her lips. "Why do you not answer me, Ida?" he asked. "Have I spoken too soon? But no! that is not possible--you must have seen how dearly I loved you! how I always sought your presence--you must----" Then she made a motion to him with her fan, and found her voice. "You cannot have heard," she said, "no one can have told you that----" "That what! What is there to tell? For God's sake speak, Ida!" "That I am engaged." "Engaged!" he said, rising to his feet. "Engaged! while I have been away. Oh! it cannot be, it is impossible! You must have seen, you must have known of my love for you. It cannot be true!" "It is true, Mr. Cundall." "True!" Then he paused a moment and endeavoured to recover himself. When he had done so he said very quietly, but in a deep, hoarse voice: "I congratulate you, Miss Raughton. May I ask who is the fortunate gentleman?" "I am engaged to Lord Penlyn." He took a step backward and ejaculated, "Lord Penlyn! Lord----" Then once more he recovered himself, and said: "Shall I take you back to the ball-room? Doubtless he is looking for you now." "I am very sorry for your disappointment," she said, looking up at him with a pale face; his emotion had startled her, "very sorry. I would not wound you for the world. And there are so many other women who will make you happy." "I wanted no other woman but you," he said. CHAPTER III. Lord Penlyn and his friend and companion, Philip Smerdon, had returned from their yachting tour, which had embraced amongst other places Le Vocq, about a fortnight before Walter Cundall arrived in London from Honduras. The trip had only been meant to be a short one to try the powers of his new purchase, the _Electra_, but it had been postponed by the storm to some days over the time originally intended. Since he had become engaged to Ida Raughton, he naturally hated to be away from her, and, up till the night before he returned to England, had fretted a great deal at his enforced absence from her.