George looked up at his mother with tears of gratitude in his eyes. He saw the kindly intent of a mother whom he loved with all the force of his nature, and who, of late years, ever since he had grown to be a lad, had behaved to him more as a sympathetic friend than as a mother. She had sought to lead rather than to drive, to take him by the hand rather than push him by the shoulder. Here was she now, entering into his schemes, interesting herself in making matters easy for him, helping him towards that marriage he had set his heart and soul upon awhile ago. Things were going right with everybody--but his wretched self. What should he do? Whither should he turn? Where should he go? Anyway, his reply was plain,-- 'I am sure, mother, it would be a very gracious thing to do, and Kate would be greatly pleased by it.' 'Then, you see,' said Mrs Osborne, more cordially than he had ever in all his life heard her speak before, 'we shall be a party much the same as you were in London; for I understand Mr Nevill will not be far off, and Alice and I will be of the party, and we can have a few people now and then, and we may go out occasionally.' George tried to smile, and said, almost inarticulately,-- 'You are very good, mother.' Nevill was delighted. Why, this was as good as giving him a standing invitation to all the parties at the house, as well as to the ordinary hospitality! What could be more delicious than this? Nothing in the world. To woo by day his own sweet, fair, gentle Kate in country lanes, and then spend the evening with her at a homely hearth! What could be more fascinating? And then the fact that Mrs Osborne spoke of arrangements of this kind before him, made him feel she already regarded him as a member of the family. He had prospered much better than he had hoped in his wildest dreams. Mrs Osborne thought, 'If I can only get George to stay here and be under the old influence, and the influence of this girl, all may go well, and he may lose the awful doubts and difficulties under which he now labours.' When the ladies had retired, the two men left the table and drew their chairs to the fire. 'You may smoke,' said Osborne; 'no one objects to smoking here, Any of my friends who use tobacco always smoke here.' Nevill lit a cigar, and for a long time both men sat looking in silence at the fire. Nevill spoke first,-- 'I have got on to-day much better than I had hoped. I think it will be all right. What do you think, George?' 'I am almost sure all will be right. I think nothing could have been better than the way you got on,' answered Osborne, very sedately.