for all," the Squire declared firmly. "You must be
sick of trotting to and fro with these everlasting messages, but there
won't be any more need for them after to-day."

Guest expressed his gratification, and started forth on his return
journey profoundly depressed in spirit. With the end of the strife
would end his daily meetings with Cornelia, which alone kept him in
Norton. Miss Briskett's attitude on the occasion of his one call at The
Nook had not encouraged him to repeat the experiment. He smiled to
himself whenever he recalled the picture of the heavily-furnished room,
the sharp-faced spinster, with her stiff, repellent manner, and the slim
figure of Cornelia sitting demurely in the background, drooping her eyes
to the ground whenever her aunt looked in her direction, and wrinkling
her nose at him in pert little grimaces when the good lady's back was
turned, so that he had had hard work to preserve his gravity. Since
that evening they had met daily in the shrubbery of the Park, though
only for a few minutes at a time, for Cornelia steadily refused to sit
down, or to linger by his side in a manner which would suggest that the
assignation was on her behalf, as well as that of her friend.

Guest was always the first to arrive at the meeting-place, and was
careful to remain standing in a position from which he could watch the
girl's approach. In these bright summer days Cornelia was invariably
dressed in white, her short skirts standing out above her feet in a
manner peculiar to herself, and the fashion plates. She wore shady hats
which dipped over her face, and curved upward at the sides, showing the
burnished waves of her wonderful hair. At first sight she gave the
impression of looking pale and ill, but invariably by the time she
reached his side, her cheeks were pink, and he forgot his anxiety in
delight and admiration.

To-day his manner was less buoyant than usual, as he delivered the note
into her hands.

"An ultimatum at last! Geoffrey and Madame propose to storm the citadel
this afternoon. Quite time, too! I wonder he has waited so long. I
should have come to blows on the second day. ... Fancy hanging about a
whole week when a girl like that was waiting to see you!"

Cornelia turned the letter round and round, staring at it the while with
absent eyes.

"You used to say that he would never marry her ... that she was not a
suitable wife ... that it would be a great mistake if he did..."

"