her that she is not to let out a single
word? Half an hour--Miss Nelson gives me half an hour. I could reach
the Collinses' cottage in about ten minutes, if I flew over the grass;
five minutes with Susy, and then ten minutes back again. I can do
it--I will!"

She seized her hat, rushed to the door, ran along the corridor, and
down the stairs. In a moment she was out. Her fleet young steps
carried her lightly as a fawn over the grass, and down the path which
led to Susy's cottage. How fast her heart beat! Surely she would be in
time!

A short cut to the Collinses' cottage lay through a small paddock
which cut off an angle of the park. Ermie remembered this, and made
for it now. There was a stile to climb, but this was no obstacle to
the country-bred girl. She reached the paddock, vaulted lightly over
the stile, and was about to rush along the beaten path when she was
suddenly brought face to face with the two people whom in all the
world she wished least to see just then--her father and Basil. They,
too, were walking in the paddock, and met Ermengarde close to the
stile.

Ermie had never seen her father's face wear a sterner, or more
displeased expression, but it was not his glance which frightened her
most just then; it was a certain proud, resigned, yet strong look
which flashed at her for an instant out of Basil's beautiful eyes.
This, joined to an expression of suffering round his lips, gave
Ermengarde for the first time a glimpse of the abyss of deceit and
wrong-doing into which she was plunging.

A great longing for Basil's love and approbation rushed over her. The
desire for this was stronger in that first brief moment than her fear
of meeting her father. She stood perfectly still, her hands dropped to
her sides; she had not a word to say.

"You can go home," said Mr. Wilton, turning to his son; "I have
expressed my opinion; I don't mean to repeat it--there is nothing
further to say."

Basil did not make any reply to this speech, nor did he again look at
Ermengarde. He went to the stile, vaulted over it, and disappeared.

"And now, Ermie, where are you going to?" said her father.

"Home," she answered confusedly. "I am going home."

"My dear, I never knew that this way through the paddock led home.
Come, Ermengarde, I am tired of prevarication. What does all this
mean?"

"Don't ask me, father. I mean I'll tell you presently. I want to see
Miss Nelson."

"Is Miss Nelson at the other side of this pad