derstood the facial contortions of Mr. Wilks, and, resigning
herself to the inevitable, accepted the chair placed for her by the
highly pleased Jem, and sat regarding him calmly from the other side of
the fender.

[Illustration: "Miss Nugent's consternation was difficult of
concealment."]

"I am waiting here for my father," she said, in explanation.

"In deference to Wilks's terrors I am waiting here until he has gone,"
said Hardy, with a half smile.

There was a pause. "I hope that he will not be long," said the girl.

"Thank you," returned Hardy, wilfully misunderstanding, "but I am in no
hurry."

He gazed at her with admiration. The cold air had heightened her colour,
and the brightness of her eyes shamed the solitary candle which lit up
the array of burnished metal on the mantelpiece.

"I hope you enjoyed your visit to London," he said.

Before replying Miss Nugent favoured him with a glance designed to
express surprise at least at his knowledge of her movements. "Very much,
thank you," she said, at last.

Mr. Hardy, still looking at her with much comfort to himself, felt an
insane desire to tell her how much she had been missed by one person at
least in Sunwich. Saved from this suicidal folly by the little common
sense which had survived the shock of her sudden appearance, he gave the
information indirectly.

"Quite a long stay," he murmured; "three months and three days; no, three
months and two days."

A sudden wave of colour swept over the girl's face at the ingenuity of
this mode of attack. She was used to attention and took compliments as
her due, but the significant audacity of this one baffled her. She sat
with downcast eyes looking at the fender occasionally glancing from the
corner of her eye to see whether he was preparing to renew the assault.
He had certainly changed from the Jem Hardy of olden days. She had a
faint idea that his taste had improved.

"Wilks keeps his house in good order," said Hardy, looking round.

"Yes," said the girl.

"Wonder why he never married," said Hardy, musingly; "for my part I can't
understand a man remaining single all his life; can you?"

"I never think of such things," said Miss Nugent, coldly--and
untruthfully.

"If it was only to have somebody to wait on him and keep his house
clean," pursued Hardy, with malice.

Miss Nugent grew restless, and the wrongs of her sex stirred within her.
"You have very lofty ideas on the subject," she said, sco