Chapter 12 - Page 2

her now if she does not refuse?'

'I will, sir,' said Jim promptly.

'And Margery, what do you say? It is merely a setting of things
right. You have already promised this young man to be his wife, and
should, of course, perform your promise. You don't dislike Jim?'

'O, no, sir,' she said, in a low, dry voice.

'I like him better than I can tell you,' said the Baron. 'He is an
honourable man, and will make you a good husband. You must remember
that marriage is a life contract, in which general compatibility of
temper and worldly position is of more importance than fleeting
passion, which never long survives. Now, will you, at my earnest
request, and before I go to the South of Europe to die, agree to make
this good man happy? I have expressed your views on the subject,
haven't I, Hayward?'

'To a T, sir,' said Jim emphatically; with a motion of raising his
hat to his influential ally, till he remembered he had no hat on.
'And, though I could hardly expect Margery to gie in for my asking, I
feels she ought to gie in for yours.'

'And you accept him, my little friend?'

'Yes, sir,' she murmured, 'if he'll agree to a thing or two.'

'Doubtless he will--what are they?'

'That I shall not be made to live with him till I am in the mind for
it; and that my having him shall be kept unknown for the present.'

'Well, what do you think of it, Hayward?'

'Anything that you or she may wish I'll do, my noble lord,' said Jim.

'Well, her request is not unreasonable, seeing that the proceedings
are, on my account, a little hurried. So we'll proceed. You rather
expected this, from my allusion to a ceremony in my note, did you
not, Margery?'

'Yes, sir,' said she, with an effort.

'Good; I thought so; you looked so little surprised.'

We now leave the scene in the bedroom for a spot not many yards off.

When the carriage seen by Margery at the door was driving up to Mount
Lodge it arrested the attention, not only of the young girl, but of a
man who had for some time been moving slowly about the opposite lawn,
engaged in some operation while he smoked a short pipe. A short
observation of his doings would have shown that he was sheltering
some delicate plants from an expected frost, and that he was the
gardener. When the light at the door fell upon the entering forms of
parson and lawyer--the former a stranger, the latter known to him--
the gardener walked thoughtfully round the house. Reaching the small
side-entrance he was further surprised to see it noiselessly open to
a young woman, in whose momentarily illumined features he discerned
those of Margery Tucker.

Altogether there was something curious in this. The man returned to
the