ock.

"And on her birthday, too!" Lady Mary declared. "Young people,
nowadays, are so _blase_. Look at all those presents on the table for
her, and here the breakfast gong has rung twice, and there is no sign
of her."

Vandermere turned to his host.

"You haven't heard anything about that fellow Saton?" he asked. "You
don't know whether he is in the neighborhood or not?"

"I have not heard," Rochester answered. "To tell you the truth, if he
has as much sense as I believe he has, he is probably on his way to
the Continent by now."

"I have an idea, somehow," Vandermere continued, "that Lois is afraid
he'll turn up to-day."

"If Lois is afraid," Rochester remarked, "let me tell you in
confidence, Vandermere, that I don't think you need be."

"My dear girl!" Lady Mary exclaimed, looking toward the staircase. "We
were just going in to breakfast without you, and on your birthday,
too!"

Lois came slowly down the broad stairs into the hall. It was
impossible to ignore the fact that she was pale, and that she walked
as one in fear. Her eyes were sunken, and spoke of a sleepless night.
Her manner was almost furtive. She scarcely glanced, even, at the
little pile of packages which stood upon the table.

"How nice of you all to wait!" she said. "Good morning, everybody!"

"Good morning, and many happy returns to you!" Lady Mary called out.
"Will you look at your presents now or after breakfast?"

"I think after breakfast," she said. "Are there any letters?"

"They are on the table," Rochester said.

She glanced them through eagerly. When she had come to the last one,
she drew a little breath of relief. A tinge of color came into her
cheeks.

"You dear people!" she exclaimed, impulsively. "I know I am going to
have ever such nice things to thank you for. May I be a child, and put
off looking at them until after breakfast? Do you mind, all of you?"

"Of course not," Vandermere answered. "We want you to tell us how you
would like to spend the day."

"I would like to ride--a long way away," she declared, breathlessly.
"Or the motor-car--I shouldn't mind that. I should like to go as far
away as ever we can, and stay away until it is dark. Could we start
directly after breakfast?"

Rochester smiled.

"You can have the car so far as I am concerned," he said. "I have to
go over to Melton to sit on the Bench, and your aunt and I are
lunching with the Delameres afterwards. But if you can put up with
Vandermere as a