"Like Dulcinea, eh, Don Quixote Roger? Well; and you met often--juxtaposition is fatal--and love sprang up like Jonah's gourd in one night." "No; she was not a woman to be lightly won. Judith had with her a cousin--a pretty, golden-haired damsel, whom she worshipped." "Oh! had you met Golden-hair before?" "Yes; but I didn't take much notice of her." "Of course. Preferred brunette to blonde!" "Decidedly. Well, Florry Marson--" "The blue-eyed darling?" "Yes. Florry Marson was a foolish, frivolous little thing, who had been confided to Judith's care by her dead mother." "Whose dead mother, Florry's or Judith's?" asked Fanks, lightly. "Florry's, of course," replied Roger, impatiently; "and Judith looked after her like the apple of her eye, though I'm afraid she had rather a hard task, for Miss Marson was one of those irritating girls who did all manner of things without thinking. She was engaged to marry a man called Spolger." "Anything to do with 'Spolger's Soother, a Good Night's Rest'?" "Yes; he's the owner." "Oh! and frivolous Florry didn't like him." "How do you know?" asked Roger, in a startled tone. "Because I've seen Spolger's Soother, and he's not pretty enough for such an empty-headed minx as you describe Miss Marson." "You are right. She was engaged to him by her father's desire, but she loved a scamp--good-looking, of course, with no money, and had been exiled to Ventnor to escape him." "Eh! It's quite a romance," said Fanks, gaily. "What was the scamp's name?" Roger fidgeted in his chair before replying, which action did not escape the lynx eyes of Mr. Fanks, who said nothing, but waited. "I don't know," said Roger, turning away his head. "That's a lie," thought Octavius, as he saw the manner in which Mr. Axton replied to a seemingly simple question. "Queer! Why should he tell me such a useless lie?" "I don't know anything about the scamp," went on Axton, hurriedly; "but he is the cause of all my unhappiness." "How so?" "Because Judith--Miss Varlins--refused to marry me on his account." "What! she loved him also. Fascinating scamp!" "I don't know if she loved him exactly," said Axton, in a musing tone. "The reason she gave me for her rejection of my proposal was that she could not leave her cousin Florence; but she seemed strangely moved when she spoke of--of Florry's lover." "Don't you remember his name?" asked Fanks, noticing the momentary hesitation. "No, I don't," replied Roger, angrily. "Why do you keep asking me that question?" "Oh, nothing," said Octavius, quietly; "only I thought that as these two girls had told you so much about themselves, they might have told you more." "Judith Varlins is a very reserved woman." "And Miss Marson?" "I didn't see much of her," answered Roger, moodily, "nor did I wish to--a frivolous little minx, who came between me and my happiness. Well, there's nothing more to tell. After my rejection I left Ventnor for London, and ultimately came down here on a walking tour."