e
footpath, until she reached the garden gate. A minute later she was on
the lawn outside his window. For a moment her heart seemed to stop
beating. What if he should drive her away, as she had driven him? Could
she go to him, and offer him a love that might be repulsed? Standing
there on the lawn, she could see him plainly. Evidently he was preparing
to leave. In the middle of the room was a large box, in which he was
placing his belongings. Like one fascinated she watched. Now and then he
would stop in his work and stand still seemingly staring into vacancy,
and then, as if spurred on by some secret thought, would eagerly
continue his work.

The room in which she saw him was the Manor House parlour, a low ceiled
apartment, with large casement windows opening out on the lawn. The
light from the window fell upon the spot where she was standing, but he
did not see her. She, however, could see his face plainly. She wondered
how she had failed to recognise him, even although he had been disguised
by his thick beard, for as she watched him she saw the Leicester she had
known years before. But his face seemed terribly hard and stern, and she
did not understand the look in his eyes. How dare she go to him, and
tell him what was in her heart? Would he not scorn her, as she had
scorned him? Thus minute after minute she waited, afraid to do what she
had set out to do. So hard and unforgiving did his expression seem to
her that she was almost on the point of turning away, when she saw him
sit down like a man overcome, and pillow his face in his hands. Then she
hesitated no longer. Approaching the window, she knocked gently, and
instantly he lifted his head with a look of eager inquiry.

With trembling hands she opened the window and entered.

"Olive--Miss Castlemaine!" he said, like one dazed.

She went straight to him.

"Radford," she said, "I have come to ask you something, to tell you
something."

He did not speak, but looked at her with eager, inquiring eyes.

"I have come to ask you to forgive me," she said, "and to tell you
that--that it was you I loved--all the time. There never was any
stranger, Radford. I loved him because my heart knew it was you."

For a moment he could not understand, but when her meaning came to him
his eyes burned with a new light, his heart sang for joy, he knew what
heaven meant.

"Forgive me, Radford, will you?" she went on. "I do not deserve it from
you, I know. I put my pride before