be at once.'

'Your mother doesn't know he was coming?'

'No. I don't know why I haven't told her, really. I suppose we were
talking so much of other things last night. And then I only got home
just as Alfred did, and he said at once that he had invited Mr. Mutimer.
Yes, I will go. Perhaps I'll come and see you again after church.'

Letty went back to 'Pilgrim's Progress.' Her sister Jessie enjoyed the
sound of her own voice, and did not offer to surrender the book, so she
sat by little Eva's side and resumed her Sunday face.

Adela took the road for the Manor, resisting the impulse to cast glances
on either side as she passed the houses at the end of the village. She
felt it to be more than likely that eyes were observing her, as it was
an unusual time for her to be abroad, and the direction of her walk
pointed unmistakably to one destination. But she made no account of
secrecy; her errand was perfectly simple and with an object that no
one could censure. If people tattled, they alone were to blame. For the
first time she experienced a little resentment of the public criticism
which was so rife in Wanley, and the experience was useful--one of those
inappreciable aids to independence which act by cumulative stress on a
character capable of development and softly mould its outlines.

She passed the church, then the vicarage, and entered the hedgeway
which by a long curve led to the Manor. She was slackening her pace, not
wishing to approach too near to the house, when she at length saw Hubert
Eldon walking towards her. He advanced with a look which was not exactly
indifferent yet showed no surprise; the smile only came to his face when
he was near enough to speak.

'I have come to meet you,' Adela began, with frankness which cost her
a little agitation of breath. 'I am so very sorry to have misled you
yesterday. As soon as I reached home, I found that my brother had
invited Mr. Mutimer for to-day. I thought it would be best if I came and
told you that--that we were not quite alone, as I said we should be.'

As she spoke Adela became distressed by perceiving, or seeming to
perceive, that the cause which had led her to this step was quite
inadequate. Of course it was the result of her having to forbear mention
of the real point at issue; she could not say that she feared it might
be disagreeable to her hearer to meet Mutimer. But, put in the other
way, her pretext for coming appeared trivial. Only with an extreme
e