raised her
head and looked earnestly into her aunt's eyes, which fell before that
serious candid gaze.

"Well, my dear, well--and was it for this that you came to me?"

Miss Vane's voice was gentler now; and Mr. Evandale took advantage of
the opportunity afforded him to pour out the story of his love for
Enid--of his certainty that she was not happy, and his endeavor to win
her confidence. He went on to say that he had been in Yorkshire
attending his father's funeral and settling his affairs for the last few
days, and that it had occurred to him to call on Miss Vane--of whom he
had so often heard!--on his way through London to Beechfield. He had
meant to tell her of Enid's unhappiness and of his attachment to her,
and to ask Miss Vane's interest and help; and it was the greatest
possible surprise to him to find Enid in the room when he entered it.

"What did you mean by saying that she was safe here?" said Miss Vane at
this point. "Safe with me, you said."

Maurice looked at the girl.

"I have told aunt Leo nothing yet," she said. "And, oh, dear aunt Leo,
you won't be vexed, will you, if I may speak to Maurice just for five
minutes first? Because indeed I am so puzzled that I do not know what to
do."

Miss Vane subdued a rising inclination to anger, and did her best to
smile.

"Ah, well, I know what you young people are!" she said good-humoredly.
"I suppose I shall be taken into your secrets by-and-by."

Enid kissed her cheek.

"If they were our secrets, you should know all about them this very
minute," she said; "but they are not ours, dear auntie."

"Flossy's, I suppose?" said Miss Vane rather shortly, as she disengaged
herself from Enid's arm and went out of the room. But she was not
ill-pleased, although she pretended to feel piqued by the request for a
private interview. "He looks like a man to be trusted," she said. "Enid
will be happier with him than with Hubert--poor Hubert, poor miserable,
deluded boy! As for Flossy, I cannot think of her without a shudder.
Heaven knows what she has done, but she has most certainly driven Enid
out of the house by her conduct! I hope it is nothing very seriously
wrong."

At that moment a telegram was put into Miss Vane's hands. It was from
the General.

"Is Enid with you? If not, telegraph at once. I am coming up to
town by next train."

It seemed long to Miss Vane before she was summoned to the promised
conference with Enid and Mr. Evandale. Here a