o."

Alice listened to her father's worldly wisdom with a smile, but she
did not attempt to answer him. It was very seldom, indeed, that he
took upon himself the labour of lecturing her, or that he gave her
even as much counsel as he had given now. "Well, papa, I hope I shall
find myself growing towards the light," she said as she got out of
the cab. Then he had not entered the house, but had taken the cab on
with him to his club.

On her table Alice found a note from her cousin George. "I hear you
are going down to the Pallisers at Matching Priory to-morrow, and as
I shall be glad to say one word to you before you go, will you let
me see you this evening,--say at nine?--G. V." She felt immediately
that she could not help seeing him, but she greatly regretted the
necessity. She wished that she had gone directly from Cheltenham to
the North,--regardless even of those changes of wardrobe which her
purposed visit required. Then she set herself to considering. How had
George heard of her visit to the Priory, and how had he learned the
precise evening which she would pass in London? Why should he be so
intent on watching all her movements as it seemed that he was? As to
seeing him she had no alternative, so she completed her arrangements
for her journey before nine, and then awaited him in the
drawing-room.

"I'm so glad you're going to Matching Priory," were the first words
he said. He, too, might have taught her to grow towards the light,
if she had asked him for his reasons;--but this she did not do just
then.

"How did you learn that I was going?" she said.

"I heard it from a friend of mine. Well;--from Burgo Fitzgerald, if
you must know."

"From Mr Fitzgerald?" said Alice, in profound astonishment: "How
could Mr Fitzgerald have heard of it?"

"That's more than I know, Alice. Not directly from Lady Glencora, I
should say."

"That would be impossible."

"Yes; quite so, no doubt. I think she keeps up her intimacy with
Burgo's sister, and perhaps it got round to him in that way."

"And did he tell you also that I was going to-morrow? He must have
known all about it very accurately."

"No; then I asked Kate, and Kate told me when you were going. Yes; I
know. Kate has been wrong, hasn't she? Kate was cautioned, no doubt,
to say nothing about your comings and goings to so inconsiderable
a person as myself. But you must not be down upon Kate. She never
mentioned it till I showed by my question to her that I kne