Edna's look changed, and she became rather pale.
"What has brought him, Richard?"

Richard shrugged his shoulders, and replied that he had not the least
idea. He supposed it was a whim. It was evident that Edna was not too
well pleased at the news. A little hardness came into her face, and she
walked into the house without taking any notice of Bessie.

As Bessie stood hesitating for a moment in the hall, Richard followed
her. He had not even looked at her, and poor Bessie felt sure that his
manner expressed disapproval.

"Will you not go into the drawing-room, Miss Lambert?"

"Oh, no. Mr. Sinclair is there, is he not? I would rather go upstairs
and take off my things. I am very tired." And here Bessie faltered a
little.

But to her surprise Richard looked at her very kindly.

"Of course you are tired. You had that long ride; but Edna would not
think of that. Take off your things quickly and come down to the
dining-room. Dixon will have something ready for you. There is some
coffee going into the drawing-room. You will like some?"

"Oh, yes, please," returned Bessie, touched by this thoughtfulness for
her comfort. After all, he could not be angry with her. Perhaps she
would have time to explain, to ask his opinion, to talk out her
perplexity. How comfortable that would be! Bessie would not stay to
change her dress, she only smoothed her hair, and ran down.

Richard was waiting for her, and Dixon had just brought in the coffee.
When he had gone out of the room she said eagerly:

"Oh, Mr. Sefton, I am so glad to be able to ask you a question. You were
not vexed with me for going to Staplehurst with your sister?"

"Vexed!" returned Richard, in a tone that set her mind at rest in a
moment. "You acted exactly as I expected you to act. When mother showed
me your note I only said, 'I never doubted for a moment what Miss
Lambert would do; she would go, of course.'"

"Yes; I only hesitated for a moment; but, oh! what a miserable afternoon
it has been!" And as she touched on the various incidents, including her
_tete-a-tete_ with Captain Broughton, Richard listened with much
sympathy.

"I never dreamed for a moment that Edna would go after all, but it was
just a piece of childish bravado. The foolish girl does not think of
consequences. It is a most unfortunate thing that Sinclair should turn
up at this moment; he is a little stiff on these subjects, and I am
afraid that he is terribly annoyed."

"Did Mrs. Sefton t