will enjoy your voyage," continued Mrs. Ogilvie, turning now and
laying her hand on her husband's arm.

Mr. Rochester, who was quite a young man himself, and was deeply
occupied at this time with thoughts of love and marriage, happened to
see the pair as they sauntered by together. He knew nothing, of
course, of Ogilvie's intended visit to Australia, nor was he in any
sense of the word behind the scenes. On the contrary, he thought that
Mrs. Ogilvie and her husband made a perfect picture of beautiful love
between husband and wife.

"It is good of you," pursued Mrs. Ogilvie, turning once more to her
husband. "I am greatly obliged. I am more than obliged, I am relieved
and--and satisfied. We shall have a happy life together when you come
back. There are, of course, little matters we ought to talk over
before we go."

"Debts, you mean," said Ogilvie, bluntly. "I opened your bills in your
absence. They will be----"

"Oh, Phil!" Mrs. Ogilvie's face turned very white.

"I will speak about them before I leave," he continued. "Now I must
find Grayleigh."

"Is it true that you are going on Saturday?"

"Quite true."

"Had I not better return to town with you? There will be several
things to put in order."

"I can write to you, Mildred. Now that you are here you had better
stay here. The change will be good for you. You need not return to
the house in town before next week."

"If you really don't want me, I am certainly enjoying myself here."

"I don't want you," he replied, but as he spoke his grey eyes looked
wistful. He turned for an instant and glanced at her. He noted the
sunny, lovely hair, the agile, youthful, rounded figure. Once he had
loved her passionately.

"Sibyl will be delighted to see you," continued Mrs. Ogilvie. "She has
been, on the whole, behaving very nicely. Of course, making both
friends and foes, as is her usual impetuous way."

"That reminds me," said Ogilvie. "I shall see Sibyl before I leave;
but that reminds me."

"Of what?"

"I do not wish her to be told."

"Told what? What do you mean? My dear Phil, you are eccentric."

"I have no time to dispute the point, Mildred. I wish to give one
hasty direction, which is to be obeyed. Sibyl is not to be told that I
am going to Australia."

"What, never?"

"She must be told when I am gone, but not till then. I will write to
her, and thus break the news. She is not to be told to-day, not until
she gets home, you understand? I won't go a