about not troubling
her, the girl told him that her mistress wished to speak to him, and
then he had no alternative but to allow himself to be shown into the
drawing-room.

"I want to see you a minute," said Mrs. Askerton, bowing to him
without putting out her hand, "that I might ask you how you find your
cousin."

"She is pretty well, I think."

"Colonel Askerton has seen more of her than I have since her father's
death, and he says that she does not bear it well. He thinks that she
is ill."

"I do not think her ill. Of course she is not in good spirits."

"No; exactly. How should she be? But he thinks she seems so worn. I
hope you will excuse me, Mr. Belton, but I love her so well that I
cannot bear to be quite in the dark as to her future. Is anything
settled yet?"

"She is going to Aylmer Castle."

"To Aylmer Castle! Is she indeed? At once?"

"Very soon. Lady Aylmer has asked her."

"Lady Aylmer! Then I suppose--"

"You suppose what?" Will Belton asked.

"I did not think she would have gone to Aylmer Castle,--though I dare
say it is the best thing she could do. She seemed to me to dislike
the Aylmers,--that is, Lady Aylmer,--so much! But I suppose she is
right?"

"She is right to go if she likes it."

"She is circumstanced so cruelly! Is she not? Where else could she
go? I do so feel for her. I believe I need hardly tell you, Mr.
Belton, that she would be as welcome here as flowers in May,--but
that I do not dare to ask her to come to us." She said this in a low
voice, turning her eyes away from him, looking first upon the ground,
and then again up at the window,--but still not daring to meet his
eye.

"I don't exactly know about that," said Belton awkwardly.

"You know, I hope, that I love her dearly."

"Everybody does that," said Will.

"You do, Mr. Belton."

"Yes;--I do; just as though she were--my sister."

"And as your sister would you let her come here,--to us?" He sat
silent for awhile, thinking, and she waited patiently for his answer.
But she spoke again before he answered her. "I am well aware that you
know all my history, Mr. Belton."

"I shouldn't tell it her, if you mean that, though she were my
sister. If she were my wife I should tell her."

"And why your wife?"

"Because then I should be sure it would do no harm."

"Then I find that you can be generous, Mr. Belton. But she knows it
all as well as you do."

"I did not tell her."

"Nor did I;--but I should have done