at once! How long do you expect to be away?"

"For two or three months, perhaps."

"Promise to wait till you return, before you tell your mother--"

"That we are engaged?"

"Yes."

"You have my promise, Carmina; but you make me uneasy."

"Why?"

"In my absence, you will be under my mother's care. And you don't like
my mother."

Few words and plain words--and they sorely troubled her.

If she owned that he was right, what would the consequence be? He might
refuse to leave her. Even assuming that he controlled himself, he would
take his departure harassed by anxieties, which might exercise the worst
possible influence over the good effect of the journey. To prevaricate
with herself or with him was out of the question. That very evening she
had quarrelled with his mother; and she had yet to discover whether Mrs.
Gallilee had forgiven her. In her heart of hearts she hated deceit--and
in her heart of hearts she longed to set his mind at ease. In that
embarrassing position, which was the right way out? Satan persuaded Eve;
and Love persuaded Carmina. Love asked if she was cruel enough to make
her heart's darling miserable when he was so fond of her? Before she
could realise it, she had begun to deceive him. Poor humanity! poor
Carmina!

"You are almost as hard on me as if you were Doctor Benjulia himself!"
she said. "I feel your mother's superiority--and you tell me I don't
like her. Haven't you seen how good she has been to me?"

She thought this way of putting it irresistible. Ovid resisted,
nevertheless. Carmina plunged into lower depths of deceit immediately.

"Haven't you seen my pretty rooms--my piano--my pictures--my china--my
flowers? I should be the most insensible creature living if I didn't
feel grateful to your mother."

"And yet, you are afraid of her."

She shook his arm impatiently. "I say, No!"

He was as obstinate as ever. "I say, Yes! If you're not afraid, why do
you wish to keep our engagement from my mother's knowledge?"

His reasoning was unanswerable. But where is the woman to be found who
is not supple enough to slip through the stiff fingers of Reason? She
sheltered herself from his logic behind his language.

"Must I remind you again of the time when you were angry?" she rejoined.
"You said your mother was bent on separating us. If I don't want her to
know of our engagement just yet--isn't that a good reason?" She rested
her head caressingly on his shoulder. "Tell me," she went o