Lady Connie

on the wood's eastern skirts, hearing deep muffled sounds from "Tom" clock-tower,

o'cl

rtain other sounds approaching from the wood itself. Horses--at a walk. No doubt the sa

okin' couple"--no doubt sweethearts. What else should bring a young man and a young woman ri

ing!"--to which he guardedly responded, lookin

e said lightly, when they had moved forward. Then she f

rather sombre, his reins lying loose

orts of foolish things, which

shining with a su

had a good time, and in fact--w

ike to pu

d time, because--unfortun

tain proofs and tests of friendship that any fri

er companion. She was breathing quickly. "In other words, we have been

e the very little thing I a

m to-night, or again this week?

ought it a small

were full of proud agitation--of thin

d to--fr

t, but his e

at--in my opinion, friendship which asks unrea

with her whip to the mare's flank, who bounded forward,

e you are denouncing me!" he s

said Constance, panting. "I cou

s really not the l

stress: I retu

oint. Because o

ring me--to anything soft an

t the end of a long green vista the gate

nded pride, and stubborn

ike this. I can't remember who began it. But now I suppo

word who means to break

grew sudde

d quietly--"was

. I ret

ich means that you could

the gate, Constance, whose face showed

w I must seem ve

ful from Falloden stopped her. S

--she stammered a little--"you love me. I don't know yet--what I feel. I feel many different things. But I know this: A man who forbids me to do this and that--to talk to this person

at love makes it easy to grant even the most diff

ll--if I am to keep your--friendship. I demurred. You repeated it--as though you were responsible for what I do, and had a right to command me.

hrugged hi

ed made it per

said Constan

y pride and hold out a hand of yielding was all but strong enough to end their quarrel. Both suffere

nother word--till t

ut of Connie's way. In the road outside, a

, because you might be burdened with my company. I shall never intrude upon you. All the woodmen and keepers have been informed that

ly some of the rides will be wanted directly for the pheasants? Anyway I think

gnal to Joseph, and was soon

loden to see her, or provoke her. How brightly their ride had begun!--how miserably it had ended! She thought of that first exhilaration; the early sun upon the wood; the dewy scents

here it came from! For really his ways were those of a modern

About them, his new tone was no doubt a trifle patronising, but still, quite tolerable. Ewen Hooper, he vowed, was "a magnificent scholar," and it was too bad that Oxford had found nothing better for him than "a scrubby readership."

at an attractive post in the Conservative Central Office would soon be vacant; an uncle of his was a very important person on the Council; that and other wires might be pulled. Constance, eagerly, began to count up her own opportunities of the same kind; and between them, they had soon--in imagination--

ling through the green rides and glades of the wood, occasionally putting

en closer contact. Connie spoke of her proposed visit to h

ood! My mother writes they have collected a jolly party for the 12th. I will

e--I want you to know my father!" And as he plunged again into talk about his father, the egotistica

hat had happened, the brow beside her had clouded, the voice had changed. Why did she see so much of Sorell? He, lik

orward, with his most brilliant and i

had been her mother's dear friend, and was now her own. She co

my, tell me--he or she shall be mine--instantly! Sorell dislikes me. You will never hear any good of me from him. And, of course, Radowitz hates me. I have gi

nouncing the arrogance and unkindness that could ask such promises of he

t scene between t

it all be made up that very

each! Constance fought back he

tte's strict command, in preparation for her second ball, which was being given by Magdalen, where the college was reported

ion in white silk and tulle, just arrived from London,

said Constance, gloomily pressing bot

hind her, and came to

id firmly. "Alice says you h

sense!" Constance turned on

ed quite decently. Shall I tell you something?" The laughing girl stooped over Connie, and said in her ear--"Now that

said Constance. "

well. But Alice doesn't much care why Herbert P

he and Falloden had--to amuse themselves--plotted the rise in life, and the matrimonial happiness, of Herbert and Alice. How little they ha

e this morning?" s

rds Godstowe," said

way to the Bodleian. He just looks splendid on horseback--I must give h

iding with an undergraduate," said Constance, her voice muffled in the

ergraduate now. He can do

Nora observed her with a

ts for you downstairs

tled, almost hidden by the

sent

beauty. The other's from Lord

e. And yet she would have felt insulted if Falloden had dared to send her flowers that eveni

y them both; and on

s of creation. They say that Otto Radowitz made such an amusing speech last week in the college debating society attacking 'the bloods.' Of course they didn't hear it, because they have their

suddenly recovered colour and vivacit

l snubbed. Serve him right! He shouldn'

en. Her curiosity and concern after what Alice had told her of the preceding night's ba

Annette appeared, and the important business of hair-dressi

fully pretty person. Mr. Falloden was teaching her to row. Nobody knew who she was. But she and he seeme

I think I'll wear my black after a

ingly hung up

eam in it, my lady. Why

er golden-brown head stood out with brilliant effect. Nora, still sitting on the bed, admired her hugely. "She'll look like that when she

pearls,

ve some flowe

ne. Only m

ny of them. One string was presently wound in and out through the coils of hair that crowned the girl's delicate head; the other st

t herself uneas

't to wear them," s

aring with all her e

r such things. I--I never have w

elonged

s said they belonged to Marie Antoinette. Papa always believed t

t a girl like Connie should possess

th a great de

comfort. "That's why I oughtn't to wear them. But I shall wear them!" She straightened

not be rivalled elsewhere; and Magdalen men were both rich and lavish, so that the illuminations easily surpassed the more frugal efforts of other colleges. The midsummer weather still held out, and fo

as they paused to take breath after the first round of waltzing.

e was no need to look. From the moment she entered the roo

mean Lady Con

raised her eyebrows

hey are--the Risborough pearls! I saw them once, before I married, on Lady Risborough, at

them most because they belonged to

de him laughed, and t

owadays--babes in the schoolroom--know the v

customed since his Eton days to lay violent hands on Douglas whenever they met. She and her husband had lately agreed to live apart, and she was now pursuing amusement wherever it was to be had. A certain Magdalen a

greetings; he went through the form of asking her to dance, knowing very well that she would refuse him; and then, for the rest of the evening, when he wa

-naturedly taken Aunt Ellen into supper, brought her back to the ballroom, and bowed himself off, bursting wi

on, and her prettiness had dribbled away, like a bright colour washed out by rain. Her mother could not bear to see her--and then to look at Connie across the room, surrounded by all those sil

an irritable shake of the head, meant to

g, smoothing the bright folds of the new dress over her knee. She was much pleased with the new dress; and, of

hispered in Alice's ear. "It has been all Mr. Radowi

lk!" said Alice. "As for Mr. Falloden--perhaps

swinging tune. Radowitz opposite sprang to

ancers who stood in the doorways and along the walls involuntarily paused to watch the pair.

danced the Polish dance with a number of steps and gestures unknown to an English ballroom, as he had learnt them in his childhood from a Polish dancing-mistress; Constance, with the instinct of her foreign training, adapted herself to him, and the result was enchan

en to Meyrick, contemptuo

iance at the group of "bloods" standing together, at Falloden in particular. Falloden had not danced once with her, had not been allowed once to touch her white hand. It was he, Radowitz, who had carried her

musical gift and his romantic temperament was popular in Oxford--Constance made the round of the illuminated river-walks and the gleaming cl

to be in possession of her the night before, had been brusquely banished from her side; that Oxford's cha

ecollections that made of the Oxford streets an "in

lock in a pearly light of dawn. I

, go out for a bathe, and w

hey were talking loudly, and reading something which was being passed from hand to hand. As he app

his staircase, Meyrick, who had had a gre

r a lesson! I still owe him one

powerfully built fellow, who had just got his Blue for the Eleve

said Meyrick--"but t

ier. It was witty and damaging in the highest degree, and each man as he read it had vowed vengeance. Falloden had been especially mocked in it. Some pompous tricks of manner peculiar to Falloden in his insolent moods, had been worked into a pseudo-scientific examination of the qualities proper to a "blood," with the happiest effect. Falloden grew white as he read it. Perhaps on the morrow it would be in Con

or this

ew fiercely through the man's soul. He wanted to crush--to punish--to humiliate. For a moment he saw red.

to the college. The sea god with his trident, surrounded by a group of rather dilapidated

Senior Tutor had gone to Switzerland that morning; and those few inmates who still remained, tired out with the ball of t

utes swallowed up in a distant staircase on the western side of the quadrangle re?merged

owardly bullies!--te

captors--of all save one--was mere rowdy mischief. To duck the offender and his immaculate white flannels in N

of one of Neptune's attendant nymphs and began to fling the water in the faces of his tormentors. Falloden was quickly drenched, and Meyrick and others momentarily blinded by the sudden deluge in their eyes. Robertson, the Winchester Blue, was heavily stru

f men. Falloden, who had acted as leader throughout, called

d carried him to the edge of the fountain. There it was seen that t

it's all jagged," gasped Robertson. "

y pale, by Radowitz and rendered a rough first-aid. By a tourniquet of handkerchiefs

e lodge. "Tell the porter that somebody's been hurt in a la

deous anxiety to bring him round. The moment when he first opened his eyes was one of unspeakable relief to

alloden, looking round him. "Robertson

road-shouldered Wykehamist, utterly unnerved, sat by the bed tre

ndow, through which could be seen the summer sky, and a mounting sun, just touching the college roofs. The college clock st