"What will mamma think?" she said, in utter dismay. "See how late it is;
and the dew has fallen."

"I will tell her why I detained you, Agatha. You are sure that I shall
not wake up tomorrow and find all this is a dream?"

"I do not think so," she replied; and then she would not stop for
another word, and I went in to meet Lady Thesiger alone.

She was surprised when I told her. No matter what Coralie said about
maneuvering, if ever I saw real, genuine surprise in any woman's face,
it was in Lady Thesiger's this evening.

"You have asked Agatha to marry you!" she repeated, looking half
bewildered; "and pray, Sir Edgar, what did the child say?"

"She promised to marry me," I replied, more boldly; "that is, of course,
if Sir John and you, Lady Thesiger, have no objection."

"I am afraid that you have not taken that much into consideration. Asked
the child to marry you! Why, Sir Edgar, how long have you been in love
with her?"

"From the very first moment I ever saw her."

"Why," cried her ladyship, "Sir John told me you were in love, and had
promised to confide in him."

Remembering what I had said to him, I explained to her that in speaking
as I had done I referred entirely to Agatha.