in-law. She liked his ways and manners of thought—in spite of those rumours as to the rat-catching which had reached her ears. She regarded him as quite clever enough to be a good husband, and no doubt appreciated the fact that he was to inherit his title and The Cleeve from an old grandfather instead of a middle-aged father. She therefore had no objection to leave Peregrine alone with her one ewe-lamb, and therefore the opportunity which he sought was at last found.
'I shall be leaving Noningsby to-morrow, Miss Staveley,' he said one day, having secured an interview in the back drawing-room—in that happy half-hour which occurs in winter before the world betakes itself to dress. Now I here profess my belief, that out of every ten set offers made by ten young lovers, nine of such offers are commenced with an intimation that the lover is going away. There is a dash of melancholy in such tidings well suited to the occasion. If there be any spark of love on the other side it will be elicited by the idea of a separation. And then, also, it is so frequently the actual fact. This making of an offer is in itself a hard piece of business,—a job to be postponed from day to day. It is so postponed, and thus that dash of melancholy, and that idea of separation are brought in at the important moment with so much appropriate truth.
'I shall be leaving Noningsby to-morrow, Miss Staveley,' Peregrine said.
'Oh dear! we shall be so sorry. But why are you going? What will Mr. Graham and Augustus do without you? You ought to stay at least till Mr. Graham can leave his room.'
'Poor Graham!—not that I think he is much to be pitied either; but he won't be about for some weeks to come yet.'
'You do not think he is worse; do you?'
'Oh, dear, no; not at all.' And Peregrine was unconsciously irritated against his friend by the regard which her tone evinced. 'He is quite well; only they will not let him be moved. But, Miss Staveley, it was not of Mr. Graham that I was going to speak.'
'No—only I thought he would miss you so much.' And then she blushed, though the blush in the dark of the evening was lost upon him. She remembered that she was not to speak about Felix Graham's health, and it almost seemed as though Mr. Orme had rebuked her for doing so in saying that he had not come there to speak of him.
'Lady Staveley's house has been turned up side down since this affair, and it is time now that some part of the trouble should cease.'
'Oh! mamma does not mind it at all.'
'I know how good she is; but nevertheless, Miss Staveley, I must go to-morrow,' And then he paused a moment before he
