"Engaged, my dear! I trust not," said Mrs. O'Reilly. "I had always
hoped for something very different for dear Gertrude. Quite between
ourselves, you know, my nephew John Carew is over head and ears in
love with her, and they would make a very good pair; don't you think
so?"

"Well, you see, I like Gertrude to a certain extent," replied Lena
Houghton. "But I never raved about her as so many people do.
Still, I hope she will not be entrapped into marrying Mr. Zaluski;
she deserves a better fate than that."

"I quite agree with you," said Mrs. O'Reilly, with a troubled look.
"And the worst of it is, poor Gertrude is a girl who might very
likely take up foolish revolutionary notions; she needs a strong
wise husband to keep her in order and form her opinions. But is it
really true that he flirts with her? This is the first I have heard
of it. I can't think how it has escaped my notice."

"Nor I, for indeed he is up at the Morleys' pretty nearly every day.
What with tennis, and music, and riding, there is always some excuse
for it. I can't think what Gertrude sees in him, he is not even
good-looking."

"There is a certain surface good-nature about him," said Mrs.
O'Reilly. "It deceived even me at first. But, my dear Lena, mark
my words: that man has a fearful temper; and I pray Heaven that
poor Gertrude may have her eyes opened in time. Besides, to think
of that little gentle, delicate thing marrying a Nihilist! It is
too dreadful; really, quite too dreadful! John would never get over