low.

"But why don't you come in?"

"I'm not coming in; I'm going back to London again to-night."

"Why, father?" asked Nell, opening her lips for the first time, and
looking at him with great intentness.

The Squire stooped and lifted Nell into his arms.

"I did not want you to see me," he said. "I knew you were having your
big party to-night, and I had to come to the Towers on--on business.
What are you trembling for, Nell? You ought not to be out; you must run
back to the house at once; why, you are cold, child."

"I'm _not_ cold, and I _will_ stay and kiss you."

Nell's arms were pressed tightly round the Squire's neck. Her little
soft lips pressed kiss after kiss on his somewhat grisly cheek.

Boris, standing on the ground, and looking up at Nell in her fathers
arms, thoroughly realised for the first time that he had gone to useless
trouble in cleaning the dove's cage.

"Now, Nell, you must be sensible," said her father. "I was obliged to
come to the Towers to-night to--to fetch something. I knew from Molly's
letters that you were going to have a big ball. I thought I'd like to
see how the ball-room looked. We have not had a ball, a very big ball,
in that room since the days of my great-grandmother. My grandmother has
told me about that ball, and about the very window where my
great-grandfather stood when he asked my great-grandmother to be his
wife. He asked her to marry him at that ball, so of course she never
could forget it; and the story of the green dress she wore--apple
green--with her golden locks falling over her shoulders, and the story
of the window where he proposed to her, have been handed down in the
family ever since. To-night, in that same window, the little
great-great-grandchild sat, and looked out, and I saw her; now, you must
run back, Nell. Boris, you run back, too; run and enjoy yourselves; be
happy--God, God bless you."

"Why don't you come in, father?" asked Boris.

Nell felt as if she could not say a word. There was so much meaning in
fathers words; there was so much that he said with his eyes, and with
the tight pressure of his arms, which the rather commonplace words he
uttered seemed to have nothing to do with. Nell understood, and her
heart ached so, she seemed to be turned dumb.

The Squire put Nell firmly on the grass.

"Run in, both of you," he said. "I must go back to the railway station
at once, or I shall miss my train. I am returning to town to-night. Say
nothing