"May I have the pleasure of a little walk with you?" he asked, suiting
his step to hers and ignoring her apparent coldness.

"Certainly. How long since you returned to Hampton, Mr. Carrington?"
recovering herself as they walked.

"Only a few days ago. I was called here on business for my uncle, and
will probably be detained several weeks." He glanced at her as he spoke,
but she gave no sign, only remarking it was a lovely season of the year
for a visit. They walked along, talking only commonplaces, until they
neared her home.

"Did you receive my letter, Miss Gra--Miss Hall?" he asked, with some
unsteadiness in his voice.

"Yes," she replied, shortly. She did not understand herself any more
than he did, and was vexed to find it so impossible to throw off her old
proud ways, for she really intended to relent enough, at least, to have
an explanation, and possibly--her thoughts could never go farther than
this, and here she was, in the same imperious way, shutting her better
self away from even a fair consideration of duty. These thoughts flashed
through her mind while she walked on, apparently with the greatest
indifference to either his words or his presence. But with a great
effort she compelled herself to say again, with more warmth, "I received
it, and intended to answer before this, but--" She stopped abruptly.

He gratefully caught the morsel she had given, and asked if he might not
call the next day.

"Yes, you may come at three," she said, careful to set a time when Kate
would surely be out.

At the door they parted, and as she went up the stairs, she wondered
more than ever at her hardness, for almost unconsciously she had given
up all doubts of his honor as a gentleman. What was it all about
anyway? Nothing but a report that he was engaged to a young lady at the
time he proposed to her, and on the testimony of a single friend, she
had allowed herself to be miserable, and make another miserable, through
this foolish pride that she _would_ conquer by to-morrow afternoon.

What! would she compel herself to so utterly ignore her own nature? She
leaned against the wall half way up the stairway, startled at this
revelation of herself. She did not know she was capable of such changes,
and yet the last two weeks had greatly modified her opinions in many
things.... Why should it not be so? If it were right she could be glad,
and she reverently felt that it was right to let the Truth erase all
errors and righ