you, John! We all expected you to-day."

"Did you?" said Johnny, whose heart had been plunged into cold water
at the mention of Mr Crosbie's name. He had been thinking of Lilian
Dale ever since his friend had left him on the railway platform; and,
as I beg to assure all ladies who may read my tale, the truth of his
love for Lily had moulted no feather through that unholy liaison
between him and Miss Roper. I fear that I shall be disbelieved in
this; but it was so. His heart was and ever had been true to Lilian,
although he had allowed himself to be talked into declarations of
affection by such a creature as Amelia Roper. He had been thinking
of his meeting with Lily all the night and throughout the morning,
and now he heard that she was walking alone about the gardens
with a strange gentleman. That Mr Crosbie was very grand and very
fashionable he had heard, but he knew no more of him. Why should Mr
Crosbie be allowed to walk with Lily Dale? And why should Mrs Dale
mention the circumstance as though it were quite a thing of course?
Such mystery as there was in this was solved very quickly.

"I'm sure Lily won't object to my telling such a dear friend as you
what has happened," said Mrs Dale. "She is engaged to be married to
Mr Crosbie."

The water into which Johnny's heart had been plunged now closed over
his head and left him speechless. Lily Dale was engaged to be married
to Mr Crosbie! He knew that he should have spoken when he heard the
tidings. He knew that the moments of silence as they passed by told
his secret to the two women before him,--that secret which it would
now behove him to conceal from all the world. But yet he could not
speak.