pace.

"You will do justice to my motives?" he said. "I have a right
to ask that, for I deserve so much of you. If my suit had been
an ungenerous one, it might better have been pressed years ago
than now."

"Why was it not?" said Elizabeth.

It was the turn of Rufus's eyes to flash, and his lips and
teeth saluted each other vexedly.

"It would probably have been as unavailing then as now," he
replied. "I bid you good evening, Miss Haye. I ask nothing
from you. I beg pardon for my unfortunate and inopportune
intrusion just now. I shall annoy you no more."

Elizabeth returned his parting bow, and then stood quite still
where he left her while he walked up the path they had just
come down. She did not move, except her head, till he had
passed out of sight and was quite gone; then she seated
herself on one of the rocks near which her boat was moored,
and clasping her hands round her knees, looked down into the
water. What to find there? -- the grounds of the disturbance in
which her whole nature was working? it lay deeper than that.
It wrought and wrought, whatever it was -- the colour flushed
and the lips moved tremulously, -- her brow knit, -- till at
last the hands came to her eyes and her face sunk down, and
passionate tears, passionate sobbing, told what Elizabeth
could tell in no other way. Tears proud and humble -- rebelling
and submitting.

"It is good for me, I suppose," she said as she at last rose
to her feet, fearing that her handmaid might come to seek her,
-- "my proud heart needed to be brought down in some such way --
needed to be mortified even to this. Even to this last point
of humiliation. To have my desire come and mock me so and as
it were shake my wish in my face! But how could _he_ think of
me? -- he could not -- he is too good -- and I am a poor thing,
that may be made good, I suppose --"

Tears flowed again, hot and unbidden; for she was walking up
to the house and did not want anybody to see them. And in
truth before she was near the house Clam came out and met her
half way down the path.

"Miss 'Lizabeth, -- I don' know as you want to see nobody --"

"Who is there for me to see?"

"Well -- there's an arrival -- I s'pect we'll have to have
supper in the kitchen to-night."

CHAPTER XV.

With weary steps I loiter on,
Though always under altered skies;
The purple from the distance dies,
My prospect and horizon gone.
TENNYSON.

Whether or not Elizabeth wanted to see anybo