"To set your mother's heart at rest--and hers." "Oh, very well, when you like; but hold hard a minute." "Rob!" cried Mrs Rolph in dismay, for her heart was beating fast with hope, and his words had arrested the throbbing. "I can't have two of my important meetings interfered with. I've the Bray Bridge handicap, and a glove fight I must attend." "Rob, my darling!" "But I must go to them. The confounded service takes up so much of my time, that I've neglected my athletics shamefully." Marjorie came in from the garden just then, and as she appeared at the French window, the careworn, hunted look in her eyes, and a suggestion of twitching about the corners of her lips, fully justified her athletic cousin's disparaging remarks. "Ah, my darling!" cried Mrs Rolph, rising. "I beg pardon, aunt dear. I did not know you and Rob were engaged." "Don't go, dearest," said Mrs Rolph, holding out her hands, her tone of voice making Marjories eyes dilate, and as she began to tremble violently, a deathly pallor overspread her cheeks, and she tottered and then sank sobbing in Mrs Rolph's arms. "My darling--my darling!" whispered her aunt. "There--there! Rob, dearest, help me!" Rolph rose from his chair, half-pleased, half-amused by his mother's action, as she shifted the burden to his great muscular arms. "Help her to the couch, my love. Why, she is all of a tremble. I'll go and fetch my salts. Rob, dearest, can't you bring back the colour to her cheeks?" She moved slowly toward the door in quite a stage exit, smiling with satisfaction as she saw her son make no effort to place the trembling woman upon the couch, but holding her to his breast, while, slowly and timidly, her hands rose to his neck, gained faith and courage, and by the time the door closed upon the pair, Madge was clinging tightly, and for the first time for two years felt that the arms which encircled her held her firmly. "Rob!" she cried wildly, as she raised her head to gaze wildly in his eyes. "All right, pussy," he said. "The mater says we are to forget all the past, and forgive, and all that sort of thing, and the event is to be a fixture, short notice and no flam." "You mean it, Rob--darling?" "Of course," he cried; and his lips closed upon hers. "There," he said, after a time; "now let's go and have a quiet walk and talk." "In the garden? Yes!" "Hang the garden! outside. I don't want the old girl to be hanging about us, patting us on the back and watching for every kiss." "No, no," she whispered, as she clung to him, as if fearing to lose him before she had him fast. "Except for this, Rob, dear, I wish we had not come back to The Warren." "Hallo!" he cried, boisterously; "jealous of Judy, pet? Why, I haven't seen her for months? That's all over, and I'm going to be your own good boy." "It wasn't that, Rob. I was afraid." "What of? Losing me? Oh, you're safe now," he cried, with a boisterous laugh.