orry he had not noticed it before.

Still, as a decent married man with a wife and children, he took such
pleasures as talking to the girl on the promenade in strict moderation,
so very soon he went off with his mackintosh flapping.

A few minutes later Lillie came to relieve guard, her woollen tam o'
shanter wet and her front hair blown out of curl.

"I've had about enough of this," she said. "I'm going to find another
job before next summer."

"Oh, I expect your job will be putting your boy's slippers before the
fire and getting his tea ready," said Caroline, still speaking from the
very top of her thoughts--as careful as if she were treading on very
thin ice, not to risk the depths.

The prospective bride giggled, gratified, and Caroline went out; but
the next minute she was startled to hear Lillie call shrilly from the
little window: "Carrie! Carrie! You've forgotten your umbrella, and
on a day like this! You must be in love!"

Caroline took the umbrella, but said nothing; she was at the end of her
powers.

_Chapter XX_

_Levelling_

When Caroline reached the Cottage she was surprised to see the front
door standing wide open, for the storm swept full across the garden
from the south now that the privet hedge was taken up. The next moment
Laura came out, her face almost ghastly under the tan, and she put her
hand on Caroline's arm.

"There's bad news," she said, and paused. Caroline's thoughts flew to
Godfrey, and her heart missed a beat. Then Laura went on again: "Miss
Ethel has had a fall. I am afraid she is very seriously ill indeed.
She was carrying a china pail downstairs and it was too heavy for her."

Caroline stared into Laura's face, forgetting Godfrey. "Oh, Miss
Laura! I know what it was. I forgot to empty the pail, and she was
doing it. If she dies I have killed her. It's my fault. It's all my
fault!"

"Oh no; nothing of the sort," said Laura, a little impatiently, for she
had no clue to Caroline's previously over-wrought condition. "The
doctor thinks the fall was owing to some sort of seizure."

Then they entered the house together, and as they crossed the hall
Wilson came out from the sitting-room; but beyond a grave good morning
to Caroline he said nothing, passing at once to the coat lobby to fetch
his hat and coat.

Caroline hesitated a moment, not quite knowing what to do: then she
went into the kitchen. Her meal was put ready on the table just as
Miss Ethel h