a compliment or otherwise," said Joyce,
laughing.

"I'm sure Maud meant it nicely," said
Gertrude, earnestly. Then added, "By the
way, I wanted to talk to you about Maud,
Mr. Joyce."

"About Maud!" said Walter. Then
thought to himself, "Is it possible that the
seeds of match-making are already
developing themselves in this three months' old
matron?"

"Yes. I don't think George mentioned
it to you, but he had a talk with Maud,
just before our marriage, about her future.
George, of course, told her that our house
would be her home, her permanent home I
mean; and he gave her the kindest message
from Lady Caroline, who bargained that at
least a portion of the year should be spent
with her."

"What did your sister say to that?"

"Well, she was much obliged and all
that, but she did not seem inclined to
settle down. She has some horrible
notions about duty and that sort of thing,
and thinks her money has been given to
her to do good with; and George is afraid
she would get, what he calls, 'let in' by
some of those dreadful hypocritical people,
and we want you to talk to her and reason
her out of it."

"I? Why I, my dear Gertrude?"

"Because she believes in you so much
more than in anybody else, and is so much
more likely to do what you advise her."

"She pays me a great compliment," said
Joyce, rising," and I'll see what's to be
done. The first thing, I think, is to consult
Lady Caroline, who would be sure to give
good advice. I shall see her to-morrow,
and I'll——"

"See Lady Caroline to-morrow! I
thought you were not going back till
Saturday?"

"I've just thought of some special business
about which I must see Lady Caroline
at once, and I'll mention this at the same
tine. Now, let us find George. Come for
a turn."

They found George and went for their
turn, and when their turn was over, and
Gertrude was alone with her husband, she
told him the conversation which she had
had with Walter Joyce. The schoolmaster
laughed heartily.

"'Pon my word, Gerty," he said, "match-making
appears to be your forte, born and
bred in you! I never believed in the reality
of those old dowagers in Mrs. Trollope's
novels, until I saw you."

"Well, I declare, George, you are
complimentary! old dowagers, indeed! But,
seriously, 1 wish Walter wasn't going to
Lady Caroline!"

"Why, what on earth has that to do
with it?"

"Well, I mean speaking in Maud's
interest!"

"Why, one would think that Lady
Caroline was in love with Walter Joyce
herself!"

"Exactly!"

"Why — why — you don't think so, my
dear?"

"I'm sure so, my dear!"

And, as response, the Reverend George
Benthall whistled in a loud and unclerical
manner.

When Walter Joyce arrived in
Chesterfield-street, he found Lady Caroline was
absent, passing the holidays with Lord
and Lady Hetherington at Westhope, and,
after a little hesitation, he determined to
go down there and see her. He had not
seen anything of the Hetheringtons since
his election: his lordship was occupied with
some new fad which kept him in the
country, and her ladyship did not care to
come to town until after Easter. Lord
Hetherington had viewed the progress of
his ex-secretary with great satisfaction.
His recollections of Joyce were all pleasant;
the young man had done his work carefully
and cleverly, had always been gentlemanly
and unobtrusive, and had behaved deuced
well — point of fact, deuced well, brave,
and all that kind of thing, in that matter
of saving Car'line on the ice. Her
ladyship's feelings were very different. She
disliked self-made people more than any
others, and those who were reckoned
clever were specially obnoxious to her.
She had heard much, a great deal too
much, of Joyce from Mr. Gould, who, in
his occasional visits, delighted in dilating
on his recent foeman's abilities, eloquence,
and pluck, partly because he respected
such qualities wherever he met with them,
but principally because he knew that such
comments were very aggravating to Lady
Hetherington (no great favourite of his);
and she was not more favourably disposed
towards him, because he had adopted
political principles diametrically opposed to
those in wliich she believed. But what
actuated her most in her ill-feeling towards
Mr. Joyce was a fear that, now that he had
obtained a certain position, he might aspire
to Lady Caroline Mansergh, who, as Lady