Half an hour later she heard a footfall outside her door, and called out: ‘Ethel!’ ‘Yes, Cousin Marjory.’ ‘Come in—I want you.’ So Ethel came in, her blooming face somewhat more blooming than usual, and a little smile of happiness sparkling in her blue eyes. Miss Marjory’s face lost its look of gravity, and she smiled too. Sometimes Miss Marjory had been known to say of herself, that she did not feel as though she should ever be really old. In heart, she was still young. ‘Where have you been, Ethel?’ ‘In the garden.’ ‘Were you alone there?’ ‘N—no!’—here the colour deepened somewhat, but Ethel looked up fearlessly and frankly, and added: ‘Mr. Lewis Belassis was with me.’ ‘He has often been with you lately, has he not?’ ‘Ye—yes, Cousin Marjory, rather often. You see, everybody is so taken up just now! There is nobody else for him to talk to!’ Miss Marjory smiled, and then her face grew grave. ‘Has he been making love to you, Ethel?’ Her face grew rosy red. ‘I—I hardly know—not exactly; but I think—I can’t help fancying——’ ‘That will do, child; you needn’t tell me any more.’ Miss Marjory sat so still for a few minutes—so still, and so thoughtful—that Ethel, after looking at her once or twice, began to grow nervous. ‘You are not angry, Cousin Marjory?’ ‘No, child, not angry; but I wish, all the same, that it hadn’t happened—not just yet, at any rate,’ she added, catching the look on Ethel’s face. ‘Cousin Marjory, we couldn’t help it—indeed we couldn’t! Please don’t say we mustn’t!’ Miss Marjory smiled, and shook her head. ‘My dear child, I have no authority over you. You are of age, and your father is alive; and now that he has married again, and has made new ties, I do not imagine he will seriously oppose your choice, provided it seems at all suitable. You have your own independent fortune, even if it is not a very large one. I have no right to lay a veto on your marriage.’ ‘But I hope you will like it, Cousin Marjory!’ Miss Marjory laughed a little. ‘To speak the truth, Ethel, I have never looked forward to having very much in common with your husband, or with Horace’s wife; so you need not be disappointed on that score.’ Ethel opened her blue eyes wide. She was not quite equal to taking in the full meaning of Miss Marjory’s remark. ‘I thought you liked Lewis!’ ‘I think, considering his parentage and bringing up, he is a marvel; but I don’t know anything specially remarkable about him otherwise.’ ‘He is very nice!’ said Ethel meekly, feeling that she was making but a poor champion for the man whom she really loved fondly. Miss Marjory sat with knitted brow, wrapped in thought of no very pleasant kind. ‘Don’t set your heart too much upon this man, Ethel.’ ‘Oh, Cousin Marjory! Why not?’ ‘It may be impossible for him to marry you.’ ‘Oh, Cousin Marjory! I thought you said you would not forbid it!’