never it was not actively wanted.

But just as he was capturing her, Cicely sprang up.

'I must go and see about Sir John Raine.'

'Cicely--I don't care a brass farthing about Sir John Raine!'

'But having once brought him in, I recommend you to stick to him,' said
Cicely, with teasing eyes. 'And don't go advising young women. It's not
good for the military. _I'm_ going to take this business in hand.'

And she made for departure, but Marsworth got to the door first, and put
his back against it.

'Find me the Turner, Cicely.'

'A man who asks for a thing on false pretences shouldn't have it.'

A silence. Then a meek voice said--

'Captain Marsworth, my brother, Sir William Farrell, will be requiring
my services at tea!'

Marsworth moved aside and she forward. But as she neared him, he caught
her passionately in his arms and kissed her. She released herself,
crimson.

'Do I like being kissed?' she said in a low voice--'do I? Anyway
don't do it again!--and if you dare to say a word yet--to anyone--'

Her eyes threatened; but he saw in them revelations her pride could not
check, and would have disobeyed her at once; but she was too quick for
him. In a second she had opened the door and was gone.

During the rest of the afternoon, her brother and Nelly watched Cicely's
proceedings with stupefaction; only equalled by the bewilderment of Miss
Daisy Stewart. For that young lady was promoted to the good graces of
Sir William's formidable sister with a rapidity and completeness which
only natural good manners and good sense could have enabled her to deal
with; considering the icy exclusion to which she had been so long
condemned. But as she possessed both, she took it very simply; always
with the same serene light in her grey eyes.

Marsworth said to himself presently that young Fellows' chances were
good. But in truth he hardly remembered anything about them, except that
by the help of them he had kissed Cicely! And he had yet to find out
what that remarkable fact was to mean, either to himself or to her. She
refused to let him take her back to the farm, and she only gave him a
finger in farewell. Nor did she say a word of what had happened, even to
Nelly.

Nelly spent again a very wakeful night. Farrell had walked home with
them, and she understood from him that, although he was going over early
to Carton the following morning, he would be at the cottage again
before many days were over. It seemed to her that