follows � we are informed that a marriage is likely to be arranged captain de of the royal horse only son of sir william de and only daughter of the late john power esq m p of castle dropped the paper and stared out of the window fortunately for his emotions the horse and carriage were at this moment brought to the door so that nothing in driving off to the spot at which he would be likely to learn what truth or otherwise there was in the newspaper report a from the first he doubted it and yet how should it have got there such strange like generally include a portion of truth and what this portion was he found it impossible to ess five days had elapsed since he last spoke to could anything have happened in that interval to lead the girl to smile on de reaching the castle he entered his own quarters as usual and after setting the to work walked up and down pondering how he might best see her without making the disturbing paragraph the ground of his request for an interview for if it were absolutely a such a reason would wound her pride in her own honour towards him and if it were partly true he would certainly do better in leaving her alone than in her it would simply amount to a proof that was an the explanation of whose guarded conduct towards himself lay in the fact that she wished not to commit herself in playing her game with him but all this or any of it was too a thought to entertain for an instant it the whole problem of her bearing from the beginning and was painful even when rejected as absurd in his meditation he stood still closely one of the stones of a entrance as if to discover where the old hook had entered the he heard a footstep behind him and looking round saw standing by she held a newspaper in her hand the spot was one quite hemmed in from observation a fact of which she seemed to be quite aware i have something to tell you she said some de thing important but you are so occupied with that old stone that i am obliged to wait it is not true surely he said looking at the paper no look here she said holding up the sheet it was not what he had supposed but a new one � the local rival to that which had contained the announcement and was still damp from the press she pointed and he read we are to state that there is no foundation whatever for the assertion of our contemporary that a marriage is likely to be arranged between captain de and miss power of castle pressed her hand and spoke his feelings not by language but by the more pathetic vehicle of eyes it disturbed me he said i did not believe it it astonished me s much as it disturbed you and i sent this contradiction at once how could it have got there she shook her head you have not the least knowledge not the least i wish i had it was not from any friends of de s or himself it was not his sister has ascertained beyond doubt that he knew nothing of it well now don t say any more to me about the matter i ll find out how it got into the paper not now � any future time will do i have something else to tell you i hope the news is as good as the last he said looking into her face with anxiety for though that a face was blooming it seemed full of a doubt as to how her next information would be taken oh yes it is good because everybody says so we are going to take a delightful journey my uncle as he seems and i and my aunt and perhaps if she is well enough are going to nice and other places about there to nice said rather and i must stay here why of course you must considering what you have undertaken she said looking with composure into his eyes my uncle s reason for proposing the journey just now is that he thinks the alterations will make residence here dusty and disagreeable during the spring the opportunity of going with him is too good an one for us to lose as i have never been there i wish i was going to be one of the party what do wish about it she shook her head who knows time will tell are you really glad you are going dearest � as i must call you just once said the young man gazing earnestly into her face which struck him as looking far too rosy and radiant to be consistent with ever so little regret at leaving him behind i take great interest in foreign especially to the shores of the and everybody makes a point of getting away when their house is turned out of the window but you do feel a little sadness such as i should feel if our positions were reversed i think you ought not to have asked that so she murmured we can be near each de other in spirit when our bodies are far apart can we not her tone grew softer and she drew a little closer to his side with a slightly motion as she went on may i be sure that you will not think of me when i am absent from your sight and not b me any little pleasure because you are not there to share it with me may you can you ask it as for me i shall have no pleasure to be or otherwise the only pleasure i have is as you well know in you when you are with me i am happy 