She must have pushed the matter with a great deal of energy to have brought her down to Virginia, and he could not help hoping that her discretion was equal to her investigative capacity.
When, after this little interruption, Lawrence again addressed Junius Keswick his manner was so much more affable that the other could not fail but notice it.
"Mr Keswick," he said, "as our conversation seems to be based upon personalities, perhaps you will excuse me if I ask you if I am mistaken in believing that you were once engaged to be married to Miss March ?" "You are entirely correct," said Junius.

"I was engaged to her, and I hope to be engaged to her again." "Indeed!" exclaimed Croft, turning in his chair with a start.
"Yes," continued Keswick, "our engagement was dissolved in consequence of a certain family complication, and as I said before, I hope in time to be able to renew it." Lawrence threw away his cigar, and sat for a few moments in thought.

The engagement, then, did not exist.

Roberta was free.

Recollections came to him of his own intercourse with her during the past summer, and his heart gave a bound.