ntempt for girls who scream or faint just when
they ought not."

"For my part, I am glad to perceive you have some little feminine
weakness. Your growing solicitude also as to the state of your back hair
is pleasing in the extreme."

"I am too confused and shaken to retaliate just now. You are quite right
to make hay while the sun shines; but, when I am myself again, beware!"

"And your gown," continued Charles. "What yawning gulfs, what chasms
appear! and what a quantity of extraneous matter you have brought away
with you--reminiscences of travel--burrs, very perfect specimens of
burrs, thistledown, chips of fir, several complete spiders' webs; and
your sash, which seems to have a particularly adhesive fringe, is a
museum in itself. Ah, here comes that coward of little cowards, Molly,
with Balaam and the donkey-cart!"

Molly, who had left Ruth for dead, greeted her cousin with a transport
of affection, and then proceeded to recount the fearful risks that
Balaam had encountered by being deserted, and the stoic calm with which
he had waited for them at the gate.

"He's not a common donkey," she said, with pride. "Get in, Ruth. Are you
coming in, Uncle Charles? There's just room for you to squeeze in
between Ruth and me--isn't there, Ruth? Oh, you're not going to walk
beside, are you?"

But Charles was determined not to let them out of his sight again, and
he walked beside them the remainder of the way to Atherstone. He
remained silent and preoccupied during the evening which followed, pored
over a newspaper, and went off to his room early, leaving Ralph dozing
in the smoking-room.

It was a fine moonlight night, still and clear. He stood at the open
window looking out for a few minutes, and then began fumbling in a
dilapidated old travelling-bag such as only rich men use.

"Not much," he said to himself, spreading out a few sovereigns and some
silver on the table, "but it will do."

He put the money in his pocket, took off his gold hunting watch, and
then went back to the smoking-room.

"I am going out again, Ralph, as I did last night. If I come in late,
you need not take me for a burglar."

Ralph murmured something unintelligible, and Charles ran down-stairs,
and let himself out of the drawing-room French window, that long French
window to the ground, which Evelyn had taken a fancy to in a neighbor's
drawing-room, and which she could never be made to see was not in
keeping with the character of her old bl