worse for me now that you, my friend, must henceforth be estranged
from our house.'

'But you will not marry that man, Aster, dear?' He was looking
wistfully into her beautiful eyes.

'Oh, no; I shall never do it of my own free will.'

'Farewell, Aster. Though estranged from your father and your house,
fate may some time be kind enough to let me see you. Farewell.' And
taking her hand into his he raised it reverently, tenderly, to his
lips, and imprinted upon it a warm kiss. Then he arose, bowed and
went away. For many a bitter day afterwards he remembered the mute
misery in her look as he left the garden.

That evening Roland sought out an old Eton schoolfellow, whom he
found smoking on the lawn of his uncle's house.'

'Why, you seem rather excited, old fellow; what is wrong? I thought
that the fair Aster had a monopoly of your company for this evening.'

'Yes; it had been so arranged. But I found that cad, Ham, there, and
he saw fit to insult me. You can now guess, I suppose, the nature of
my mission.'

'Hem; things are really serious then. Do you want me to help you
through with the affair?'

'If you will, old fellow. My wish is that you wait upon this person
in the morning, that he may name a friend with whom you can arrange