ith my stepmother, at Lord Uppercliff's house later in the day,
I perceived that Lady Rachel and Mrs. Roylake found (or made) an
opportunity of talking together confidentially in a corner; and, once or
twice, I caught them looking at Lady Lena and at me. Even Lord Uppercliff
(perhaps not yet taken into their confidence) noticed the proceedings of
the two ladies, and seemed to be at a loss to understand them.

When Mrs. Roylake and I were together again, on our way home, I was
prepared to hear the praise of Lady Lena, followed by a delicate
examination into the state of my heart. Neither of these anticipations
was realized. Once more, my clever stepmother had puzzled me.

Mrs. Roylake talked as fluently as ever; exhausting one common-place
subject after another, without the slightest allusion to my lord's
daughter, to my matrimonial prospects, or to my visits at the mill. I was
secretly annoyed, feeling that my stepmother's singular indifference to
domestic interests of paramount importance, at other times, must have
some object in view, entirely beyond the reach of my penetration. If I
had dared to commit such an act of rudeness, I should have jumped out of
the carriage, and have told Mrs. Roylake that I meant to walk home.

The day was Sunday. I loitered about the garden, listening to the distant
church-bell ringing for the afternoon service. Without any cause that I
knew of to account for it, I was so restless that nothing I could do
attracted me or quieted me.

Returning to the house, I tried to occupy myself with my collection of
insects, sadly neglected of late. Useless! My own moths failed to
interest me.

I went back to the garden. Passing the open window of one of the lower
rooms which looked out on the terrace, I saw Mrs. Roylake reading a book
in sad-colored binding. She was yawning over it fearfully, when she
discovered that I was looking at her. Equal to any emergency, this
remarkable woman instantly handed to me a second and similar volume. "The
most precious sermons, Gerard, that have been written in our time." I
looked at the book; I opened the book; I recovered my presence of mind,
and handed it back. If a female humbug was on one side of the window, a
male humbug was on the other. "Please keep it for me till the evening," I
said; "I am going for a walk."

Which way did I turn my steps?

Men will wonder what possessed me--women will think it a proceeding that
did me credit--I took the familiar roa