ough that would seem hardly possible, when I
hate him so cordially everywhere."

She went to the looking-glass, and surveyed herself proudly as she
smoothed her shining hair, resolved that he should see no indication of
trouble or contrition in her face. She was very pale, but her tears of
last night had left no traces. There was a steadiness in her look that
befitted an encounter with an enemy. A message came from the Captain,
while she was standing before her glass, tying a crimson ribbon under
the collar of her white morning-dress.

Would she please to go to Captain Winstanley in the study? She went
without an instant's delay, walked quietly into the room, and stood
before him silently as he sat at his desk writing.

"Good-morning, Miss Tempest," he said, looking up at her with his
blandest air; "sit down, if you please. I want to have a chat with you."

Vixen seated herself in her father's large crimson morocco chair. She
was looking round the room absently, dreamily, quite disregarding the
Captain. The dear old room was full of sadly sweet associations. For
the moment she forgot the existence of her foe. His cold level tones
recalled her thoughts from the lamented past to the bitter present.

"Your mother informs me that you wish to leave the Abbey House," he
began; "and she has empowered me to arrange a suitable home for you
elsewhere. I entirely concur in your opinion that your absence from
Hampshire for the next year or so will be advantageous to yourself and
others. You and Mr. Vawdrey have contrived to get yourselves
unpleasantly talked about in the neighbourhood. Any further scandal may
possibly be prevented by your departure."

"It is not on that account I wish to leave home," said Vixen proudly.
"I am not afraid of scandal. If the people hereabouts are so wicked
that they cannot see me riding by the side of an old friend for two or
three days running without thinking evil of him and me, I am sorry for
them, but I certainly should not regulate my life to please them. The
reason I wish to leave the Abbey House is that I am miserable here, and
have been ever since you entered it as its master. We may as well deal
frankly with each other in this matter. You confessed last night that
you hated me. I acknowledge to-day that I have hated you ever since I
first saw you. It was an instinct."

"We need not discuss that," answered the Captain calmly. He had let
passion master him last night, but he had himself