face again at her words.

"Is he dressed?" he asked.

"He is dressed and asleep, and Lady Helen and Mr. Carlyon, his
godmother and godfather, are hovering over the crib like twin guardian
angels. And Mildred sits _en grande tenue_ on her cricket, in a
speechless trance of delight, and nurse rustles about in her new silk
gown and white lace cap with an air of importance and self-complacency
almost indescribable. The domestic picture only wants papa and mamma
to make it complete."

She laughed as she spoke, a little sarcastically; but Sir Jasper's
attempt even to smile was a ghastly failure.

Lady Kingsland folded both her hands on his shoulder, and looked up in
his face with anxious, searching eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

The baronet laughed uneasily.

"What is what?"

"This gloom, this depression, this dark, mysterious moodiness. Jasper,
what has changed you of late?"

"Mysterious moodiness! changed me of late! Nonsense, Olivia! I don't
know what you mean."