importuning
conversations were begun. But, taking no heed of the officious maid,
Alice, her thoughts tense with anxiety, sat at her window watching the
slender figure of the girl growing dim in the dying light. Once she did
not return until it was quite dark, and, reproaching herself for having
remained so long silent, Alice walked across the pleasure-grounds to
meet her.

'What, you here?' cried Olive, surprised at finding her sister waiting
for her at the wicket. She was out of breath; she had evidently been
running.

'Yes, Olive, I was anxious to speak to you--you must know that it is
very wrong to meet Captain Hibbert--and in the secrecy of a wood!'

'Who told you I had been to meet Captain Hibbert? I suppose you have
been following me!'

'No, Olive, I haven't, and you have no right to accuse me of such
meanness. I have not been following you, but I cannot help putting two
and two together. You told me something of this once before, and since
then you have scarcely missed an evening.'

'Well, I don't see any harm in meeting Edward; he is going to marry me.'

'Going to marry you?'

'Yes, going to marry me; is there anything so very extraordinary in
that? Mamma had no right to break off the match, and I am not going to
remain an old maid.'

'And have you told mother about this?'

'No, where's the use, since she won't hear of it?'

'And are you going to run away with Captain Hibbert?'

'Run away with him!' exclaimed Olive, laughing strangely. 'No, of course
I am not.'

'And how are you to marry him if you don't tell mother?'

'I shall tell her when the time comes to tell her. And now, Alice dear,
you will promise not to betray me, won't you? You will not speak about
this to anyone, you promise me? If you did, I know I should go mad or
kill myself.'

'But when will you tell mother of your resolution to marry Captain
Hibbert?'

'Tell her? I'll tell her to-morrow if you like; that is to say, if you
will give me your word of honour not to speak to her about my meeting
Edward in the Lawler Wood.'

Afterwards Alice often wondered at her dullness in not guessing the
truth. But at the time it did not occur to her that Olive might have
made arrangements to elope with Captain Hibbert; and, on the
understanding that all was to be explained on the following day, she
promised to keep her sister's secret.

XXV

Lord Dungory dined at Brookfield that evening. He noticed that Olive was
nervous and res