ford's direction.

The threatened letter from Mrs. Higgins had arrived; Emmeline and
her husband read it before their guest came down. If Louise
continued to reside with them, they entertained her with a full
knowledge that no payment must be expected from Coburg Lodge.
Emmeline awaited the disclosure of her guest's project, which had
more than once been alluded to yesterday; she could not dream of
permitting Louise to stay for more than a day or two, whatever the
suggestion offered. This morning she had again heard from her
sister, Mrs. Grove, who was strongly of opinion that Miss Derrick
should be sent back to her native sphere.

'I shall always feel,' she said to her husband, 'that we have
behaved badly. I was guilty of false pretences. Fortunately, we have
the excuse of her unbearable temper. But for that, I should feel
dreadfully ashamed of myself.'

Very soon after Mumford's departure, Louise begged for a few
minutes' private talk.

'Every time I come into this drawing-room, Mrs. Mumford, I think how
pretty it is. What pains you must have taken in furnishing it! I
never saw such nice curtains anywhere else. And that little
screen--I _am_ so fond of that screen!'

'It was a wedding present from an old friend,' Emmeline replied,
complacently regarding the object, which shone with embroidery of
many colours.

'Will you help me when _I_ furnish _my_ drawing-room?' Louise asked
sweetly. And she added, with a direct look, 'I don't think it will
be very long.'

'Indeed?'

'I am going to marry Mr. Bowling.'

Emmeline could no longer fed astonishment at anything her guest said
or did. The tone, the air, with which Louise made this declaration
affected her with a sense of something quite unforeseen; but, at the
same time, she asked herself why she had not foreseen it. Was not
this the obvious answer to the riddle? All along, Louise had wished
to marry Mr. Bowling. She might or might not have consciously helped
to bring about the rupture between Mr. Bowling and Miss Higgins; she
might, or might not, have felt genuinely reluctant to take advantage
of her half-sister's defeat. But a struggle had been going on in the
girl's conscience, at all events. Yes, this explained everything.
And, on the whole, it seemed to speak in Louise's favour. Her
ridicule of Mr. Bowling's person and character became, in this new
light, a proof of desire to resist her inclinations. She had only
yielded when it was certain that Miss Hig