believe it?--Geoffrey's last chance is (in one word) Marriage!"

"Oh, Julius! it's too good to be true!"

Julius repeated his father's own words. Lady Holchester looked twenty
years younger as she listened. When he had done she rang the bell.

"No matter who calls," she said to the servant, "I am not at home." She
turned to Julius, kissed him, and made a place for him on the sofa by
her side. "Geoffrey shall take _that_ chance," she said, gayly--"I will
answer for it! I have three women in my mind, any one of whom would suit
him. Sit down, my dear, and let us consider carefully which of the three
will be most likely to attract Geoffrey, and to come up to your father's
standard of what his daughter-in-law ought to be. When we have decided,
don't trust to writing. Go yourself and see Geoffrey at his hotel."

Mother and son entered on their consultation--and innocently sowed the
seeds of a terrible harvest to come.


CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH.

GEOFFREY AS A PUBLIC CHARACTER.

TIME had advanced to after noon before the selection of Geoffrey's
future wife was accomplished, and before the instructions of Geoffrey's
brother were complete enough to justify the opening of the matrimonial
negotiation at Nagle's Hotel.

"Don't leave him till you have got his promise," were Lady Holchester's