"If, Gordon," said my stepmother, "you mean to make a fool of yourself over that most troublesome, refractory, and good-for-nothing girl, I will leave you with her. If you listen to her sentimental and silly remarks, I can at least go and rest in my room; but clearly understand what my view of this business is."

"I have not uttered a word, Helen," replied my father.

"Uttered!" said Lady Helen, a volume of scorn in her voice; "have not your eyes spoken, has not your hand spoken, has not your action spoken? That girl dares to come into my private room uninvited, and you encourage her."

"I have come to ask about Captain Carbury," I said. "He is mine, and I want to know everything about him. Where is he—what have you done with him—have you sent him away? Why did he go away without speaking to me? I tell you he is mine. I will see him."

Lady Helen suddenly changed her manner. She sank into a chair and burst out laughing.

"Gordon," she said, without taking the least notice of me, "may I venture to inquire the exact age of this little spitfire?"

"How old are you, Pussy?" inquired my father.

"As if that mattered!" I said. "I am a hundred years old, as far as feelings go."

"But as far as the law goes," said Lady Helen, "I think, my dear, you will find that you are eighteen, and therefore a minor, and therefore unable to marry without the consent of your father and your stepmother. You will find that such is the case, Heather; you had better understand this at once."

"Very well," I answered, "if that is really the law, and you won't give your consent—you, who are no relation to me at all—and if father won't give his consent, although he is a very near relation, then I shall do this: I shall wait until I am twenty-one; I know Vernon will wait, and then we will marry."

Lady Helen laughed again.

"You poor, silly, fickle child!" she said. "Don't you know perfectly well that you will fall in and out of love perhaps twenty times between now and the day that sees you of age? And don't you know, also, that Captain Carbury will do precisely the same? Has he not himself confessed as much? He was engaged to a girl who was fifty times a better match for him than you a few weeks ago; he is tired of her now; he and she have willingly broken off the engagement. For my part, I congratulate Lady 

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