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CHAPTER XIV.

SOME PEOPLE ARE AS FORTUNATE AS THEY DESERVE
TO BE.

Eugene Lane had been rather puzzled by
Claudia's latest proceedings. On the morrow
of her interview with Stafford he had received
from her an incoherent note, in which she
took grave blame to herself for " this unhappy
occurrence," and intimated that it would be
long before she could bear to discuss any
question pending between herself and her cor¬
respondent. Eugene was not disposed to
acquiesce in this decision. He had done as
much as honour and friendship demanded, and
saw no reason why his own happiness should
be longer delayed: for he had little doubt that
Stafford's rebuff meant his own success. He
could not, however, persist in seeking Claudia
after her declaration of unwillingness to be
sought; and he departed from Territon Park
in some degree of dudgeon. All this sort of
thing seemed to him to have a touch of the
theatre about it. But Claudia took it seri¬
ously ; she did not forbid him to write to her,
but she answered none of his letters, and Lord
Rickmansworth, whom he encountered at one