-round the garden, then to the churchyard. I
suppose you scarcely remember my mother, Mark?"

"Very indistinctly," he answered, seeing that she was in a somewhat
emotional mood.

But, to tell the truth, he was inclined to distrust appearances.
During his previous visit to Golfney Place, she had betrayed a certain
amount of feeling, with the deliberate object, he felt convinced, of
awakening his sympathy. On that occasion Bridget had told him about
her pecuniary difficulties, in order to induce him to anticipate
Colonel Faversham. At present he was wondering whether or not she had
a similar end in view.

"My mother," she said, drawing nearer, "was the best and sweetest woman
in the world. You are a clever man. Tell me how she came to have such
a daughter."

Surely the late Mrs. Rosser could scarcely have had a more seductive
child! At the moment, she stood almost touching Mark, her chin raised,
gazing up into his eyes. The sunlight fell upon her hair, and he
wished he could refrain from noticing her dimple.

"What is the matter with her?" he asked.

"Don't pretend you are so dense," said Bridget, resting a hand on his
shoulder. "I gave myself away the last time you were here, and of
course that's the reason you have never been near me since!"

She was almost resting against him, either carried away by her emotion
or deliberately trying to lead him on. Mark felt very little doubt as
to her purpose; he was convinced that she was bringing all her
batteries to bear upon him, and it is a painful task to chronicle a
good man's fall!

On the deplorable impulse of the moment, he put an arm around Bridget
and kissed her lips. Then two alarming things happened. As the door
opened and Miller announced "Miss Faversham," Mark saw from the
shocked, indignant expression on Bridget's face, that on the present
occasion, at least, he had misinterpreted her intention.

There seemed to be something ironic in the circumstances. Never had
Mark felt more enthusiastic in his devotion to Carrissima than he had
done when he entered Number 5, Golfney Place, this afternoon. Hitherto
when Bridget had in truth been tempting him, he had succeeded in
standing firm; but to-day, when she had been making a sincere appeal
for his help and sympathy, he had lost his self-control.

But for the fact that Bridget was unwilling, he might not have taken a
very serious view of his own behaviour, especially as it seemed obvious
that Carris