nd what
purpose you could have, and one cannot help fancying that you owe a
little to Silverdale and yourself."

It was a somewhat daring parallel, for Winston, who dare not look at
his companion and saw that he had failed, knew the play.

"Isn't the subject a trifle difficult?" he asked.

"Then," said Maud Barrington, "we will end it. Still, you promised
that I should understand--a good deal--when the time came."

Winston nodded gravely. "You shall," he said.

Then, somewhat to his embarrassment, the two figures moved further
across the window, and as they were silhouetted against the blue
duskiness, he saw that there was an arm about the waist of the girl's
white dress. He became sensible that Maud Barrington saw it too, and
then that, perhaps to save the situation, she was smiling. The two
figures, however, vanished, and a minute later a young girl in a long
white dress came in, and stood still, apparently dismayed when she saw
Maud Barrington. She did not notice Winston, who sat further in the
shadow. He, however, saw her face suddenly crimson.

"Have you been here long?" she asked.

"Yes," said Maud Barrington, with a significant glance towards the
window. "At least ten minutes. I am sorry, but I really couldn't help
it. It was very hot in the other room, and Allender was singing."

"Then," said the girl, with a little tremor in her voice, "you will not
tell?"

"No," said Maud Barrington. "But you must not do it again."

The girl stooped swiftly and kissed her, then recoiled with a gasp when
she saw the man, but Maud Barrington laughed.

"I think," she said, "I can answer for Mr. Courthorne's silence.
Still, when I have an opportunity, I am going to lecture you."

Winston turned with a twinkle he could not quite repress in his eyes,
and with a flutter of her dress the girl whisked away.

"I'm afraid this makes me an accessory, but I can only neglect my
manifest duty, which would be to warn her mother," said Maud Barrington.

"Is it a duty?" asked Winston, feeling that the further he drifted away
from the previous topic the better it would be for him.

"Some people would fancy so," said his companion, "Lily will have a
good deal of money, by and by, and she is very young. Atterly has
nothing but an unprofitable farm; but he is an honest lad, and I know
she is very fond of him."

"And would that count against the dollars?"

Maud Barrington laughed a little. "Yes," she said quietly. "I