y darling, I'll live worthy of your kiss! Maybe it
won't be long before I dare return it."

The next instant he was gone, not daring to look back at her.

CHAPTER XII.

KITTY'S CHRISTMAS TREE.

"The Websters are off to London, Paul," said Sally, about two days
after Tom's departure.

Paul started at the sudden mention of the name.

"I did not think they intended to go to town until after the New Year.
Mrs. Webster dilates largely upon the superiority of a Christmas in the
country versus a Christmas in London; but, I suppose, it is as sincere
as most of her statements?"

"I think May has had more to do with it than her mother. She says Mrs.
Webster has fussed a good deal over Dixon's flight, she trusted him so
thoroughly. And May thinks it will be easier to get a good coachman in
London, and that it will take off her mother's thoughts from an
unpleasant subject. She now has visions of Dixon's return in company
with an armed body of burglars, and prophesies cheerfully that they
will all be found dead in their beds one morning, and that the house
will be ransacked."

Paul laughed. "Under the circumstances Miss Webster is wise to remove
her forcibly to London," he said. But he privately conjectured that
May's real reason for flight lay in her desire to get away from
himself. "Has anything been heard of Dixon?" he went on.

"Nothing. I don't think any very keen search has been made for him.
Mrs. Webster declares that she would far rather lose her money than
appear in a court of law, or have her name bandied about in the papers.
I think, Paul, that if you approve I shall be off to London, too, when
the New Year comes."

"In what capacity?" asked Paul, resignedly. "As a sister or something?"

"Oh dear, no; you know I've always wanted to join one of those
settlements of girls at the East End, who work under the management of
Miss Grant. She wrote a little while ago to tell me she would have a
vacancy in the settlement soon after Christmas. My work would lie
chiefly amongst factory girls, getting up statistics about their hours
of work and their housing, and my play would be recreation evenings
with them."

"But this is what you have always talked of doing. I expected you to
take up quite different lines now: to district visit, and take classes
on Sundays, under the guidance and supervision of the rector."

"I don't feel the least fitted for it; I know very little about it.
Mr. Curzon thinks it