"Sarah!" said her mother, indignantly, "I said not unless they had
their parents' consent. I was not thinking of Lady Mary, as you know
very well."

"_Your_ people didn't say you were too young to marry at seventeen,
did they?" said Sarah, caressing Lady Mary's hand.

Lady Mary smiled at her, but shook her head. "You want to know too
much, Sarah."

"Oh, I forgot," said Sarah the artless. "Sir Timothy was your
guardian, so, of course, there was nobody to stop his marrying you if
he liked. I suppose you _had_ to do what he told you."

"Oh, Sarah, will you cease chattering?" cried her mother.

"I hope you have good news of your sons in South Africa, Mrs. Hewel,"
said the canon, briskly advancing to the rescue.

Mrs. Hewel's voice changed. "Thank you, canon; they were all right
when we heard last. Tom is in Natal, so I feel happier about him;
but Willie, of course, is in the thick of it all--and the news
to-day--isn't reassuring."

"But you are proud of them both," said Lady Mary, softly. "Every
mother must be proud to have sons able and willing to fight for their
country."

"We may feel differently concerning the justice of this war," said Sir