not always come
between us.'

'You are right; I feel you are right, Gladys,' stroking her fair hair as
he spoke; then she looked up and smiled affectionately in his face.

'Ursula, will you leave me alone with my brother for a little? There is
something I want to tell him!' And I went away at once.

As I opened the door, Chatty came down the passage with a pile of
freshly-ironed linen. Her round face looked unusually disturbed.

'She is going on so, ma'am,' she whispered, 'it is dreadful to hear her.
She is making us turn out all her drawers, and there are three big trunks
to fill. She says she is going away for ever.'

'Hush!' I returned, with a warning look, for Miss Darrell was at the door
watching us. She was in her yellow dressing-gown, and the old pinched
look was still in her face.

'Why are you stopping to gossip, Chatty?' she said querulously. 'I shall
not have finished until midnight at this rate. Leah would have packed by
this time.' And Chatty, with rather a frightened look, carried in her
pile of clean linen.

I strolled about the garden for an hour, and then went back to the house.
Mr. Hamilton was just closing the door of his sister's room. He looked
happier, I thought: the dark, irritable expression had left his face. He
came forward with a smile.

'Gladys has been telling me, Miss Garston. I am more glad than I can say.
Cunliffe is a fine fellow; there is no one that I should like so well for
a brother.'

'I knew you would say so. Uncle Max is so good.'

'Well, he has secured a prize,' with a slight sigh. 'Gladys is a noble
woman; she will make her husband a happy man. There is little doubt that
Etta did mischief there; but Gladys was not willing to enter on that part
of the subject. I begin to think,' with a quick, searching look that
somewhat disturbed me, 'that we have not yet reached the limits of her
mischief-making.'

I could have told him that I knew that. I think he meant to have said
something more; but a slight movement in the direction of Miss Darrell's
room made us separate somewhat quickly. I saw Mr. Hamilton glance
uneasily at the half-closed door as he went past it.

I found Gladys in tears, but she made me understand with some difficulty
that they were only tears of relief and joy.

'But I am sorry too, because I have so often grieved him so,' she said,
drying her eyes. 'Oh, how good Giles is!--how noble!--and I have
misunderstood him so! he was so glad about Max, and so