"Nobody thinks anything about my headaches," said Ada, in a complaining voice. "When Aunt Henrietta is ill herself, she makes a great fuss about it, but she never cares about other people. This place does not agree with me; Dr Fletcher has always said so, but they will not believe him." "Will you let me take you away from it, then?" said Anthony, speaking sadly, but kindly, and trying to put away all thoughts but care for her. "London, you know, might suit you better." "Are you talking about our marrying?" Ada's face lit up for a moment with a vision of her wedding-dress, but dropped again into its new expression of dissatisfied listlessness. "My uncle must settle all that." "But you do not object?" "I don't know,--I have a headache,--there can't be any hurry." The indifference of the tone struck him, but it was too much an echo of his own feeling to seem as if it were anything strange. "Then I will speak to him?" he said. "Very well," said Ada, turning away with tears in her eyes. "Is there nothing I can do for you?" said Anthony, still touched with the feeling that it was bodily suffering she was experiencing. "No,--nothing. I can't talk. There is a ring, who is it?" "I think I hear Warren's voice." He did not expect to see her jump up, and turn with a smiling face to greet the new-comer. Not a trace of her languor remained; she talked, laughed, and congratulated, all in a breath. "What does it mean?" thought Anthony, looking at her sparkling eyes in wonder. Sniff had stolen in unperceived behind Mr Warren, and crept under his master's chair; but seeing his hand hanging down could not, even at the risk of detection, refrain from a rapturous lick. Anthony got the dog's head in his hand and fondled it, while he sat and wondered mutely. "And you are really going away?" Ada was saying. "We shall all miss you so much." "You may be certain I shall come back again." "O yes, you must. Still--I don't know--I am afraid there will be something different, and I dare say you will have forgotten all about us." "I am sure I shall never forget,--how could I?" said Mr Warren, turning very red, and almost stammering in his eagerness. "I have met with so much kindness in this house, I do not believe I shall be so happy anywhere as I have been in Underham." "O, but you will live in the country, and in such a beautiful place!" Ada said, shaking her curl, and sighing involuntarily as she thought of what her lot might have been. "I like a sociable place like this better," said the young fellow honestly, "and as to that, it's the people--"