he opportunity for that hasty whisper he would carry Manzini
away, and so re-secure possession of his letter.

While he was planning thus, Rachel and her niece were walking up and
down the grass-plot, and the old lady was talking away at a great rate,
describing the glories of the house of Lady De Blacquaire, and affecting
to be absorbed in her theme. She was not so much absorbed, however,
that her manner did not clearly indicate her misliking sense of Reuben's
nearness every time she passed him, though she did not so much as cast
a glance in his direction. By-and-by the two Elds appeared, and the
customary business of the afternoon began. Reuben had much ado to pin
himself down to the music, but he succeeded fairly well, and gave nobody
reason to suppose that his mind wandered far and often from his task. It
was well for his repute for sanity, especially after the wild leadership
at morning service, that he was familiar with the theme. Even when his
thoughts wandered farthest he was mechanically accurate. All the time
the book with the all-important missive in it lay on the table before
him, and in his fancy disasters were constantly happening which revealed
his secret. He repeated the terms of the note again and again, and added
to it and altered it and resolved to rewrite it, and again resolved to
leave it as it was.

The afternoon party received an unusual addition in the persons of
Mrs. Sennacherib and Mrs. Isaiah, who arrived when the performers were
half-way through their programme.

"I forgot to tell thee, Reuben, lad," said Fuller, "Ruth's got a bit
of a tay-party this afternoon, and thee beest to stop with the rest on
'em."

"Thank you," said Reuben; "I shall stay with pleasure." He felt Rachel's
disapproving glance upon him, and looking up met it for a moment, and
returned it with a puzzled gravity. She was standing alone at a little
distance from the table, and Ruth and the two new arrivals were in the
act of entering the house. Reuben obeyed the impulse which moved him,
and rising from his place crossed over to where the little old lady
stood. "May I ask," he said, "how I came to fall under your displeasure,
Miss Blythe?" He glanced over his shoulder to assure himself that nobody
took especial note of him, and spoke in a low and guarded voice.

Miss Blythe made the most of her small figure, glanced with extreme
deliberation from his eyes to his boots and back again, and, turning
away, followed her niec