mind; I can do what I want myself. Hurry down to Miss
Rowly!'

How she regarded Leonard Everard now was shown in her instinctive
classing him amongst her enemies.

When she entered the room she seemed all aglow. She wanted not only to
overcome but to punish; and all the woman in her had risen to the effort.
Never in her life had Stephen Norman looked more radiantly beautiful,
more adorable, more desirable. Even Leonard Everard felt his pulses
quicken as he saw that glowing mass of beauty standing out against the
cold background of old French tapestry. All the physical side of him
leaped in answer to the call of her beauty; and even his cold heart and
his self-engrossed brain followed with slower gait. He had been sitting
opposite Miss Rowly in one of the windows, twirling his hat in nervous
suspense. He jumped up, and, as she came towards him, went forward
rapidly to greet her. No one could mistake the admiration in his eyes.
Ever since he had made up his mind to marry her she had assumed a new
aspect in his thoughts. But now her presence swept away all false
imaginings; from the moment that her loveliness dawned upon him something
like love began to grow within his breast. Stephen saw the look and it
strengthened her. He had so grievously wounded her pride the previous
day that her victory on this was a compensation which set her more at her
old poise.

Her greeting was all sweetness: she was charmed to see him. How was his
father, and what was the news? Miss Rowly looked on with smiling visage.
She too had seen the look of admiration in his eyes, and it pleased her.
Old ladies, especially when they are maiden ladies, always like to see
admiration in the eyes of young men when they are turned in the direction
of any girl dear to them.

They talked for some time, keeping all the while, by Stephen's clever
generalship, to the small-talk of the neighbourhood and the minor events
of social importance. As the time wore on she could see that Leonard was
growing impatient, and evidently wanted to see her alone. She ignored,
however, all his little private signalling, and presently ordered tea to
be brought. This took some little time; when it had been brought and
served and drunk, Leonard was in a smothered fume of impatience. She was
glad to see that as yet her aunt had noticed nothing, and she still hoped
that she would be able to so prolong matters, that she would escape
without a private interview. Sh