u suppose I would have
begged and prayed of my father to send him away, without having reasons
that justified me? Mr. Gerard, you force me to tell you what my unlucky
visit did put into his head. Yes, he does believe--believes firmly--that
you have forgotten what is due to your rank; that I have been wicked
enough to forget it too; and that you are going to take me away from him.
Say what he may, and write what he may, he is deceiving you for his own
wicked ends. If you go to drink tea with him, God only knows what cause
you may have to regret it. Forgive me for being so violent, sir; I have
done now. You have made me very wretched, but you are too good and kind
to mean it. Good-bye."

I took her hand, I pressed it tenderly; I was touched, deeply touched.

No! let me write honestly. Her eyes betrayed her, her voice betrayed her,
while she said her parting words. What I saw, what I heard, was no longer
within the limits of doubt. The sweet girl's interest in my welfare was
not the merely friendly interest which she herself believed it to be. And
I said just now that I was "touched." Cant! Lies! I loved her more dearly
than I had ever loved her yet. There is the truth--stripped of poor
prudery, and the mean fear of being called Vain!

What I might have said to her, if the opportunity had offered itself, may
be easily imagined. Before I could open my lips, a man appeared on the
path which led from the mill to the spring--the man whom Cristel had
secretly suspected of a design to follow her.

I felt her hand trembling in my hand, and gave it a little encouraging
squeeze. "Let us judge him," I suggested, "by what he says and does, on
finding us together."

Without an attempt at concealment on his part, he advanced towards us
briskly, smiling and waving his hand.

"What, Mr. Roylake, you have already found out the virtues of your
wonderful spring, and you are drinking the water before breakfast! I have
often done it myself when I was not too lazy to get up. And this charming
girl," he went on, turning to Cristel, "has she been trying the virtues
of the spring by your advice? She won't listen to me, or I should have
recommended it long since. See me set the example."

He took a silver mug from his pocket, and descended the few steps that
led to the spring. Allowing for the dreadful deaf monotony in his voice,
no man could have been more innocently joyous and agreeable. While he was
taking his morning draught, I appealed