She had almost added "though she is an ungrateful little puss for doing so," but before the words had time to come out of her mouth, Cecil had flown at her in a transport, thrown his arms round her and kissed her, just as her mother opened the door, and uttered an odd incoherent cry of amazement.

"Oh, Mother Carey," cried Cecil, colouring all over, "I didn't know what I was doing! She gave me hope!"

"I give you hope too," said Caroline, "though I don't know how it might have been if she had come down just now!"

"Don't!" entreated Cecil. "Babie is as good as my sister. Why, where is she?"

"Fled, and no wonder!"

"And won't she, Esther, come?"

"She is far too much frightened and overcome. She says you may go to her father, and I think that is all you can expect her to say."

"Is it? Won't she see me? I don't want it to be obedience."

"I don't think you need have any fears on that score."

"You don't? Really now? You think she likes me just a little? How soon can I get down? Have you a train-bill?"

Then during the quest into trains came a fit of humility. "Do you think they will listen to me? You are not the sort who would think me a catch, and I know I am a very poor stick compared with any of you, and should have gone to the dogs long ago but for Jock, ungrateful a.s.s as I was to him last year. But if I had such a creature as that to take care of, why it would be like having an angel about one. I would--indeed I would--reverence, yes, and worship her all my life long."

"I am sure you would. I think it would be a very happy and blessed thing for you both, and I have no doubt that her father will think so too.

Now, here are the others coming home, and you must behave like a rational being, even though you don't see Essie at tea."

Mother Carey managed to catch Jock, give a hint of the situation, and bid him take care of his friend. He looked grave. "I thought it was coming," he said. "I wish they would have done it out of our way."

"So do I, but I didn't take measures in time."

"Well, it is all right as regards them both, but poor Bobus will hardly get over it."

"We must do our best to soften the shock, and, as it can't be helped, we must put our feelings in our pocket."

"As one has to do most times," said Jock. "Well, I suppose it is better for one in the end than having it all one's own way. And Evelyn is a generous fellow, who deserves anything!"

"So, Jock, as we can do Bobus no good, and know besides that nothing could make it right for his hopes to be fulfilled, we must throw ourselves into this present affair as Cecil and Essie deserve."

"All right, mother," he said. "There's not stuff in her to be of much use to Bobus if he had her, besides the other objection. It is the hope that he will sorely miss, poor old fellow!"

"Ah! if he had a better hope lighted as his guiding star! But we must not stand talking now, Jock; I must take her to Church quietly with me."

To Cecil's consternation, his military duties would detain him all the forenoon of the next day; and before he could have started, the train that brought John back also brought his father and mother, the latter far more eager and effusive than her sister-in-law had ever seen her.

"My dear Caroline, I thought you'd excuse my coming, I was so anxious to see about my little girl, and we'll go to an hotel."

"I'll leave you with her," said Caroline, rushing off in haste, to let Esther utter her own story as best she might, poor child! Allen was fortunately in his room, and his mother sprang down to him to warn him to telegraph to Cecil that Colonel Brownlow was in Collingwood Street; the fates being evidently determined to spare her nothing.

Allen's feelings were far less keen as to Bobus than were Jock's, and he liked the connection; so he let himself be infected with the excitement, and roused himself not only to telegraph, but go himself to Cecil's quarters to make sure of him. It was well that he did so, for just as he got into Oxford Street, he beheld the well-known bay fortunately caught in a block of omnibuses and carts round a tumble-down cab-horse, and some gas-fitting. Such was the impatience of the driver of the hansom, that Allen absolutely had to rush desperately across the noses of half-a-dozen horses, making wild gestures, before he was seen and taken up by Cecil's side.

"The most wonderful thing of all," said Cecil afterwards, "was to see Allen going on like that!"

In consequence of his speed, Colonel and Mrs. Brownlow had hardly arrived at Esther's faltered story, and come to a perception which way her heart lay, when she started and cried, "Oh, that's his hansom!" for she perfectly well knew the wheels.

So did her aunt and Babie, who had taken refuge in the studio, but came out at Allen's call to hear his adventures, and thenceforth had to remain easily accessible, Babie to take charge of Lina, who was much aggrieved at her banishment, and Mother Carey to be the recipient of all kinds of effusions from the different persons concerned. There was the mother: "Such a nice young man! So superior! Everything we could have wished! And so much attached! Speaks so nicely! You are sure there will be no trouble with his mother?"

"I see no danger of it. I am sure she must love dear little Esther, and that she would like to see Cecil married."

"Well, you know her! but you know she might look much higher for him, though the Brownlows are a good old family. Oh, my dear Caroline, I shall never forget what you have done for us all."

Her Serenity in a flutter was an amusing sight. She was so full of exultation, and yet had too much propriety to utter the main point of her hopes, fears, doubts, and grat.i.tude; and she durst not so much as hazard an inquiry after poor Lord Fordham, lest she should be suspected of the thought that came uppermost.

However, the Colonel, with whom that possibility was a very secondary matter, could speak out: "I like the lad; he is a good, simple, honest fellow, well-principled, and all one could wish. I don't mind trusting little Essie with him, and he says his brother is sure to give him quite enough to marry upon, so they'll do very well, even, if--How about that affair which was hinted of at Belforest, Caroline? Will it ever come off?"

"Probably not. Poor Lord Fordham's health does not improve, and so I am very thankful that he does not fulfil Babie's ideal."

"Poor young man!" said Ellen, with sincere compa.s.sion but great relief.

"That's the worst of it," said the father, gravely. "I am afraid it is a consumptive family, though this young fellow looks hearty and strong."

"He has always been so," said Caroline. "He and his sister are quite different in looks and const.i.tution from poor Fordham, and I believe from the elder ones. They are shorter and st.u.r.dier, and take after their mother's family."

"I told you so, papa," said Ellen. "I was sure nothing could be amiss with him. You can't expect everybody to look like our boys. Well, Caroline, you have always been a good sister; and to think of your having done this for little Essie! Tell me how it was? Had you suspected it?"

It was all very commonplace and happy. Colonel and Mrs. Brownlow were squeezed into the house to await Mrs. Evelyn's reply, and Cecil and Esther sat hand-in-hand all the evening, looking, as Allen and Babie agreed, like such a couple of idiots, that the intimate connection between selig and silly was explained.

Mrs. Robert Brownlow whiled away the next day by a grand shopping expedition, followed by the lovers, who seemed to find pillars of floor-cloth and tracery of iron-work as blissful as ever could be pleached alley. Nay, one shopman flattered Cecil and shocked Esther by directing his exhibition of wares to them, and the former was thus excited to think how soon they might be actually shopping on their own account, and to fix his affections on an utterly impracticable fender as his domestic hearth. Meanwhile Caroline had only just come in from amusing Mrs. Lucas with the story, when a cab drove up, and Mrs. Evelyn was with her, with an eager, "Where are they?"

"Somewhere in the depths of the city, with her mother, shopping. Ought I to have told you?"

"Of course I trust you. She must be nice--your Friar's sister; but I could not stay at home, and Duke wished me to come--"

"How is he?"

"So very happy about this--the connection especially. I don't think he could have borne it if it had been the Infanta. How is that dear Babie?"

"Quite well. I left her walking with Lina in the Square gardens."

"As simple and untouched as ever?"

"As much as ever a light-hearted baby."

"Ah! well, so much the better. And let me say, once for all, that you need not fear any closer intercourse with us. My poor Duke has made up his mind that such things are not for him, and wishes all to be arranged for Cecil as his heir. Not that he is any worse. With care he may survive us all, the doctors say; but he has made up his mind, and will never ask Babie again. He says it would be cruel; but he does long for a sight of her bright face!"

"Well, we shall be brought into meeting in a simple natural way."

"And Babie? How does she look? I am ashamed of it; but I can't help thinking more about seeing her than this new cousin. I can fancy her--handsome, composed, and serene."

"That may be so ten or twenty years hence! but now she is the tenderest little clinging thing you ever saw."

"And my ideal would have been that Cecil should have chosen some one superior; but after all, I believe he is really more likely to be raised by being looked up to. He has been our boy too long."