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 advantage of the fingers which she had given him he drew her to his breast and folded her in his arms.

It was nearly an hour after this when he returned to the drawing-room. 'Do go in now,' she said. 'You must not wait any longer; indeed you must go.'

'And you; you will come in presently.'

'It is already nearly eleven. No, I will not show myself again to-night. Mamma will soon come up to me, I know. Good-night, Felix. Do you go now, and I will follow you.' And then after some further little ceremony he left her.

When he entered the drawing-room Lady Staveley was there, and the judge with his teacup beside him, and Augustus standing with his back to the fire. Felix walked up to the circle, and taking a chair sat down, but at the moment said nothing.

'You didn't get any wine after your day's toil, Master Graham,' said the judge.

'Indeed I did, sir. We had some champagne.'

'Champagne, had you? Then I ought to have waited for my guest, for I got none. You had a long day of it in court.'

'Yes, indeed, sir.'

'And I am afraid not very satisfactory.' To this Graham made no immediate answer, but he could not refrain from thinking that the day, taken altogether, had been satisfactory to him.

And then Baker came into the room, and going close up to Lady Staveley, whispered something in her ear. 'Oh, ah, yes,' said Lady Staveley. 'I must wish you good night, Mr. Graham.' And she took his hand, pressing it very warmly. But though she wished him good night then, she saw him again before he went to bed. It was a family in which all home affairs were very dear, and a new son could not be welcomed into it without much expression of affection.

'Well, sir! and how have you sped since dinner?' the judge asked as soon as the door was closed behind his wife.

'I have proposed to your daughter and she has accepted me.' And as he said so he rose from the chair in which had just now seated himself.

'Then, my boy, I hope you will make her a good husband;' and the judge gave him his hand.

'I will try to do so. I cannot but feel, however, how little right I had to ask her, seeing that I am likely to be so poor a man.'

'Well, well, well—we will talk of that another time. At present we will only sing your triumphs—

'Felix, my dear fellow, I congratulate you with all my heart,' said Augustus. 'But I did not know you were good as a warrior.'