til the far off day when something should happen to _him_, took
his part in the discussion as a matter of course. These things were and
would be; there was no sense in shutting one's eyes to them. And one of
the things that would take place upon that happening was that Mrs.
Clinton, and Cicely, if she were not married, and the twins, would no
longer have their home at Kencote, unless Dick should be unmarried and
should invite them to go on living in his house. He would have no legal
right to turn Aunt Ellen and Aunt Laura out of the dower-house, if they
still remained alive, but it had been settled ever since the last death
amongst the sisters that they would make way. It would only be
reasonable, and was taken for granted.

And now, as it seemed, her father and brother had made up their minds to
exercise pressure--so little would be needed--to turn out the poor old
ladies, not for the sake of those who might have a claim on their
consideration, but for strangers who would pay handsomely and would be
nice people to have about the place. Cicely burned with anger as she
thought of it.

* * * * *

Two o'clock struck from the clock in the stable turret. Cicely opened
her door softly, crept along the corridor and through a baize door
leading to a staircase away from the bedrooms of the house. At the foot
of it was a door opening into the garden, which she was prepared to
unlock and unbolt with infinite care to avoid noise. But the
carelessness of a servant had destroyed the need of such caution. The
door was unguarded, and with an unpleasant little shock she opened it
and went out.

The night was warm, and the lawns and trees and shrubs of the garden lay
in bright moonlight. She hurried, wrapped in a dark cloak, to the place
from which she had fled from Mackenzie in the afternoon. She felt an
impulse of shrinking as she saw his tall figure striding up and down on
the grass, but she put it away from her and went forward to meet him.

He gave a low cry as he turned and saw her. "My brave little girl!" he
said, and laid his hands on her shoulders for a moment, and looked into
her face. He attempted no further love-making; his tact seemed equal to
his daring. "We have come here to talk," he said. "When we have made our
arrangements you shall go straight back. I wouldn't have asked you to
come out here like this if there had been any other way."

She felt grateful. Her self-respect was safe wi