She, the little country mouse, accustomed only to old William's gentle shufflings, and the two tall silver candlesticks with their one wax taper in each! She could not eat the rich food, and if she had known it, she looked like a being from some shadowy world among the hearty crew.
Next morning Mr.Carlyon received her letter as he began his early breakfast; and he tugged at his silver beard, while his penthouse brows met.
The matter required the most careful consideration.

He enormously disliked to have to play the role of arbiter of fate, but he loved Halcyone more than anything else in the world, and felt bound to use what force he possessed to secure her happiness--or, if that looked too difficult, which he admitted it did, he must try and save her from further unnecessary pain.
He had the day before received John Derringham's letter written from Wendover and which Mrs.Porrit had redirected, containing the news of the intended wedding, and it had angered him greatly.
He blazed with indignation! His peerless one to be made to take a mistress's place when any man should be proud to make her his honored wife! "The brutal selfishness of men," he said to himself, not blaming John Derringham in particular.

"He ought to have gone off and left her alone when he felt he was beginning to care, if he had not pluck enough to stand the racket.

But we are all the same--we must have what we want, and the women must pay--confound us!" He had never doubted but that, when he read the letter, Halcyone was already his old pupil's wife--if indeed such a ceremony were legal, she being under age.

And this thought added to his wrath, and he intended to look the matter up and see.