"That's always the way. Upon my soul, for all we see of her, she might as well be at—Borrowness!"
"Where in the world is that?" asked Lady Munro languidly. Then, with a sudden change of tone, "I have got such a piece of news for you," she said. "Another of our friends is engaged to be married."
"Not Dickinson?" he said, glancing at the foreign letter in her hand.
"Yes; the Indian mail came in to-day. Guess who the lady is?"
"You know I hate guessing. Go on!"
"Miss Colquhoun!"
"What an extraordinary thing!"
"Isn't it? It seems he wanted the thing settled before he sailed, but it took the exchange of a few letters to decide the question. I must say it is a great disappointment to me. I am quite sure the Sahib cared for Mona, and I did think she would take pity on him in the long-run."
"How ridiculous!" said Sir Douglas testily.
He wanted Mona to marry, because that was the natural and fitting destiny for a young and attractive woman; but it was quite another thing to think of her as the wife of any given man.