Lord Arleigh, had not fallen; in love, but he had begun to think very seriously about Philippa L'Estrange.

He had been fond of her as a child, with the kind of affection that often exists between children.

He had called her his "little wife" in jest, not in earnest.

He had listened to the discussions between the two ladies as he would have listened had they been talking about adding a new wing to the house.

It was not until he came to the years of manhood that he began to see how serious the whole matter was.