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from the windows but stood there with his hands behind his back—twisting and wringing them, she knew from long acquaintance with his habits. “What is it?” she asked sharply.
    “It is nothing to do with government, Anne,” he said at last, very gently. She did not like this gentleness, which seemed to presage something painful. She went to a settee covered in dark Morocco and abruptly sat.
    “What is it, then?”
    Ensley came nearer to her and brought his hands forward, where he proceeded (for a change) to squeeze and twist them in full view. “I—” He went to the door, which she had left ajar, and shut it. Then he sat down beside her and carefully took up one of her hands; his own were damp and cold. “My dear, I have been obliged to offer for Lady Juliana. I am so sorry not to have been able to tell you before, but I—”
    “I beg your pardon?” asked Anne. She had heard him, but what he said seemed not quite to make sense. “You have been obliged to offer what to Lady Juliana?”
    Ensley blinked and began to knead her hand. “Marriage, dear Anne. I was waiting to know whether she would ac—”
    Anne gave her head a violent shake, as if to clear her brain of dust, or cobwebs. “Forgive me, sir, but—Lady Juliana who, exactly?”
    “Canesford.” He seemed a little taken aback. “Lady Juliana Canesford. Lord Balwarth’s daughter. I thought you were aware…” His voice trailed away, but he reached up to Anne’s cheek, cupped it lightly and turned her face towards him. An instant later he took his handaway and looked down at his fingers in mild amazement, then again at her.
    To her infinite chagrin, Anne realized she had been crying. It was her tear that had amazed him. Making a tremendous effort, she resolved to govern her feelings and regained, after a moment, a certain measure of self-command. “I wish you very happy,” she said, her voice low but fairly steady.
    “Anne—”
    “Indeed I do.” Angrily, she dashed another tear away from the same troublesome eye. “You must forgive me. I was not expecting…” She obliged herself to smile and to look full at him. The treacherous tears dried up. “Are you satisfied with the match? Did you—” She had been going to ask about the settlement, but the words froze in her throat. She found she could not look long at Ensley’s face without risking tears again, and so stood and strolled to the window. The room gave upon the Square. A crowd of carriages was rolling up opposite. “Another of Lady Mufftow’s crushes,” she observed, turning back a little to Ensley.
    Now he rose and came near her. “My dear Anne, this changes nothing between us. You know it does not. Except that I must play the bridegroom for two or three months— But that you understand. The wedding is fixed for October. My dear girl—” He broke off, and muttered, “My father is in worse and worse straits. I could not delay—”
    “But sir, no, of course not. You have done perfectly right; indeed you ought to have done it before.” She did not know where the words were coming from, or how she could say them so reasonably, but was only grateful to findthem coming. “We have often spoke of this; you know my thoughts. It is only— You will think me a great goose, but I had not realized it was to be Lady Juliana. She is—” Again she faltered, but soon continued, “She is very young. Does she quite understand the nature—the nature—” But here she found she could not go on.
    “Lady Juliana knows this is no love match,” he said, “if that is what you mean. She is young, but by no means deficient in understanding.”
    Miss Guilfoyle was sorry to discover that even this modest encomium infused her with a wild fury. She said nothing, but reined in her temper even more tightly.
    “Indeed, she is quite a spirited little thing,” Ensley was going on. “I have no doubt she will make good use of the greater freedom married life will bring her.”
    “You intend to leave