t she answered with her accustomed gentleness.

"Surely you must-know dear; how could I meet Sir Wilfred when he is
still in ignorance of our engagement?"

"Ah, true, I forgot," with a short, uneasy laugh; but it was Hugh's
turn now to look uncomfortable. "What a little puritan you are,
darling, as though half a dozen civil words would have mattered."

"But I could not have said them, Hugh," with quiet firmness; "I should
have felt awkward and constrained in your father's presence; I should
have betrayed our secret by my very silence."

"Ah, well, it will be a secret no longer," with an impatient sigh.
"You look at me very reproachfully this morning, Margaret, but indeed
I have not been to blame so much as you think; my father was tired
from his journey yesterday. I am afraid he is in very bad health. I
confess I am anxious about him. We had so much to talk about, and he
is so full of that wonderful book of his. Come, cheer up, dear; I will
not have you look so serious; I will promise you that he shall know of
our engagement before I sleep to-night."

"Really and truly, Hugh?"

"Really and truly, dear; now say something kind to me before I go."

Ten minutes afterward Margaret walked slowly down the church-yard to
join Raby, who was waiting for her at the gate. He heard her footstep,
and held out his hand to her.

"I was wondering what had become of you, Margaret. Sir Wilfred has
been talking to me for a long time; he asked after you, but of course
I made some excuse; I think I know why you hid yourself."

"That could only be one reason, Raby."

"Ah, I was right, then. I said to myself, depend upon it, Madge means
to stand on her dignity, and read Hugh a lesson, and I hope he will
profit by it. I do believe Hugh's favorite motto is 'Never do to-day
what you can put off until to-morrow.'"

"I think you are a little hard on Hugh; he has promised that he will
speak to his father to-day."

"I am glad of that," very gravely. "I confess that this
procrastination has made me very uneasy; it was not treating you
fairly, Margaret, to leave his father all these months in ignorance of
the engagement."

"Yes, but you forget," interposed his sister, eagerly, "he did write
telling Sir Wilfred everything, but the letter never reached him. You
are generally so charitable. Raby, and yet you misjudge poor Hugh so
readily."

There was an injured tone in Margaret's voice that made Raby smile; he
knew that she was blind to