d stamped, downstairs with her--to
be sent to the post with the other letters of the day, placed in the
hall-basket. In the weakened state of her nerves, the effort that she
had made in writing to Ovid had shaken her. Her heart beat uneasily; her
knees trembled, as she descended the stairs.

Arrived in sight of the hall, she discovered a man walking slowly to and
fro. He turned towards her as she advanced, and disclosed the detestable
face of Mr. Le Frank.

The music-master's last reserves of patience had come to an end. Watch
for them as he might, no opportunities had presented themselves of
renewing his investigation in Carmina's room. In the interval that had
passed, his hungry suspicion of her had been left to feed on itself.
The motives for that incomprehensible attempt to make a friend of
him remained hidden in as thick a darkness as ever. Victim of adverse
circumstances, he had determined (with the greatest reluctance) to take
the straightforward course. Instead of secretly getting his information
from Carmina's journals and letters, he was now reduced to openly
applying for enlightenment to Carmina herself.

Occupying, for the time being, the position of an honourable man, he
presented himself at cruel disadvantage. He was not master of his own
glorious voice; he was without the self-possession indispensable to the
perfect performance of his magnificent bow. "I have waited to have a
word with you," he began abruptly, "before you go out for your drive."

Already unnerved, even before she had seen him--painfully conscious that
she had committed a serious error, on the last occasion when they had
met, in speaking at all--Carmina neither answered him nor looked at him.
She bent her head confusedly, and advanced a little nearer to the house
door.

He at once moved so as to place himself in her way.

"I must request you to call to mind what passed between us," he resumed,
"when we met by accident some little time since."

He had speculated on frightening her. His insolence stirred her spirit
into asserting itself. "Let me by, if you please," she said; "the
carriage is waiting for me."

"The carriage can wait a little longer," he answered coarsely. "On the
occasion to which I have referred, you were so good as to make advances,
to which I cannot consider myself as having any claim. Perhaps you will
favour me by stating your motives?"

"I don't understand you, sir."

"Oh, yes--you do!"

She stepped back, a