"A very open compliment!" he said, forcing a laugh,--and with almost rough haste, he suddenly let down the window of the carriage though the night was bitter cold--"This vehicle is suffocating me,--let us have some air. See how the stars are shining!--like great crown jewels--Deity's regalia! Hard frost, like hard times, brings noble works into prominence. Yonder, far off, is a star you can hardly perceive; red as a cinder at times and again blue as the lightning,--I can always discover it, though many cannot. It is Algol,--judged by superstitious folk to be an evil star. I love it chiefly on account of its bad reputation,--it is no doubt much maligned. It may be a cold quarter of hell where weeping spirits sit frozen in ice made of their own congealed tears,--or it may be a preparatory school for Heaven--who knows! Yonder too, shines Venus,--your star Geoffrey!--for you are in love my friend!--come confess it! are you not?" "I am not sure;"--I answered slowly--"The phrase 'in love' scarcely describes my present feeling...." "You have dropped these,"--he said suddenly, picking up a fast fading knot of violets from the floor of the brougham and holding them towards me. He smiled, as I uttered an exclamation of annoyance. They were Lady Sibyl's flowers which I had inadvertently let fall, and I saw he knew it. I took them from his hand in silence. "My dear fellow, do not try to hide your intentions from your best friend,"--he said seriously and kindly--"You wish to marry the Earl of Elton's beautiful daughter, and you shall. Trust me!--I will do everything I can to promote your desire." "You will?" I exclaimed with unconcealed delight, for I fully recognised the influence he had over Sibyl's father. "I will, I promise--" he answered gravely--"I assure you that such a marriage would be one after my own heart. I'll do all I can for you,--and I have made many matches in my time!" My heart beat high with triumph,--and when we parted that night I wrung his hand fervently and told him I was devoutly grateful to the fates for sending me such a good friend as he was. "Grateful to--whom did you say?" he asked with a whimsical look. "To the Fates!" "Are you really? They are very ugly sisters I believe. Perhaps they were your ghostly visitors of last night!" "God forbid!" I ejaculated. "Ah! God never forbids the fulfilment of His own laws!" he answered--"To do so He would have to destroy Himself." "If He exists at all!" I said carelessly. "True! If--!" And with this, we separated to our different quarters in the 'Grand.' XV