foolish entanglement elsewhere which he is too honourable to break off;
while at the same time he's far too much impressed by Daphne's fine
qualities to be able to keep away from her. It's the ordinary case of
love versus duty."

"Is he well off? Could he afford to marry Daphne?"

"Oh, his father's very rich: he has plenty of money; a Canadian
millionaire, they say. That makes it all the likelier that some
undesirable young woman somewhere may have managed to get hold of him.
Just the sort of romantic, impressionable hobbledehoy such women angle
for."

I drummed my fingers on the table. Presently Hilda spoke again. "Why
don't you try to get to know him, and find out precisely what's the
matter?"

"I KNOW what's the matter--now you've told me," I answered. "It's as
clear as day. Daphne is very much smitten with him, too. I'm sorry for
Daphne! Well, I'll take your advice; I'll try to have some talk with
him."

"Do, please; I feel sure I have hit upon it. He has got himself engaged
in a hurry to some girl he doesn't really care about, and he is far too
much of a gentleman to break it off, though he's in love quite another
way with Daphne."

Just at that moment the door opened and my aunt entered.

"Why, where's Daphne?" she cried, looking about her and arranging her