myself, for I've given up walking for a while; but we can
settle about that to-night. Come early. Good morning?"

He accompanied his thoroughly subjugated countryman--who, however, far
from attempting to reassert himself, actually seemed easier and more
cheerful in his submission--to the end of the veranda, and watched
him depart. As he turned back, he saw the pretty figure of Louise Macy
leaning against the doorway. How graceful and refined she looked in that
simple morning dress! What wonder that she was admired by Greyson, by
Johnson, and by that Spaniard!--no, by Jove, it was SHE that wanted to
marry him!

"What have you sent away Mr. Richardson for?" asked the young girl, with
a half-reproachful, half-mischievous look in her bright eyes.

"I packed him off because I thought it was a little too hard on you and
Mrs. Bradley to entertain him without help."

"But as he was OUR guest, you might have left that to us," said Miss
Macy.

"By Jove! I never thought of that," said Mainwaring, coloring in
consternation. "Pray forgive me, Miss Macy--but you see I knew the man,
and could say it, and you couldn't."

"Well, I forgive you, for you look really so cut up," said Louise,
laughing. "But I don't know what Jenny will say of your disposing of her
conquest so summarily." She stopped and regarded him more attentively.
"Has he brought you any bad news? if so, it's a pity you didn't send him
away before. He's quite spoiling our cure."

Mainwaring thought bitterly that he had. "But it's a cure for all that,
Miss Macy," he said, with an attempt at cheerfulness, "and being a cure,
you see, there's no longer an excuse for my staying here. I have been
making arrangements for leaving here to-morrow."

"So soon?"

"Do you think it soon, Miss Macy?" asked Mainwaring, turning pale in
spite of himself.

"I quite forgot--that you were here as an invalid only, and that we owe
our pleasure to the accident of your pain."

She spoke a little artificially, he thought, yet her cheeks had not lost
their pink bloom, nor her eyes their tranquillity. Had he heard Minty's
criticism he might have believed that the organic omission noticed by
her was a fact.

"And now that your good work as Sister of Charity is completed, you'll
be able to enter the world of gayety again with a clear conscience,"
said Mainwaring, with a smile that he inwardly felt was a miserable
failure. "You'll be able to resume your morning rides, you know, which
th