ming to the rescue for the twentieth time. His
presence was a comfort to every member of the household, and Hilary
could never think of that dreadful morning without recalling the quiet,
unobtrusive way in which he watched over her, and shielded her from
every possible aggravation. When afternoon came, he insisted upon
taking her to a quiet little coppice near the gates, so that she should
not be in the house at the time of Arthur Newcome's visit; but from
their seat among the trees they heard the sound of wheels as the fly
turned down the drive, and knew that the dreaded interview was at hand.

"Lettice begged and prayed not to see him, father says, but he insisted
that she should go down. He said it was only due to Arthur. Fancy what
it must be to the poor, poor fellow, to lose her at the last moment, and
to have to go back to London and explain everything to his friends--when
the house is ready, and all preparations made. I feel so angry and
humiliated that I can't be sorry for Lettice. She deserves all she
suffers!"

Mr Rayner did not answer; and they sat in silence for five or ten
minutes, at the expiration of which Hilary stole a glance at his face,
and ventured a timid question.

"Are _you_ sorry?"

"Sorry for your sister? Yes--intensely sorry!"

"You think I am hard--unsympathetic?"

"I think you are hardly in a fit state to understand your own feelings
to-day. It has been a great strain, and you have kept up bravely and
well."

Hilary's lip trembled, and she covered her face with her hands. "Oh, I
don't want to be hard, but it does seem so dreadful! She had a whole
month to think over it--and then to bring all this misery upon him at
the last moment. I feel _ashamed_! Surely, surely, it is easy to know
whether one cares or not. If I were engaged--"

"Yes?"

"Oh, I don't know--I should never, never promise to marry anyone unless
I loved him with my whole heart; but when I did, I'd stick to him if the
whole world were against us."

"I believe you would." Mr Rayner hesitated at the end of these words
as if he were about to say something further, but the hesitation ended
in silence, and presently Hilary leapt to her feet and began to pace up
and down.

"Oh, let us walk about. I can't sit still. I am too nervous. If we go
along this path we shall not meet anybody, and it will pass the time. I
can't bear to think of what is going on inside the house." So for the
next hour they walked