'And I shall never see him any more. I could not forfeit papa's
love, Mary.'

'It would be a hard thing if you were to do that for the sake of a
stranger, dear.'

'No, no, Mary; he is not a stranger to me; Angus Egerton is not a
stranger. I know that he is noble and good. But my father was all
the world to me a year ago. I could not do without his love. I must
obey him.'

'Believe me, dear, it will be wisest and best to do so. You cannot
tell what changes may come to pass in the future. Obedience will
make you very dear to your father; and the time may come in which he
will think better of Mr. Egerton.'

'O Mary, if I could hope that!'

'Hope for everything, dear, if you do your duty.'

She grew a little more cheerful after this, and met her father at
diner with quite a placid face, though it was still very pale. Mrs.
Darrell looked at her wonderingly, and with a half-contemptuous
expression, I thought, as if this passion of her step-daughter's
seemed to her a very poor thing, after all.

Before the week was out, we heard that Mr. Egerton had left
Yorkshire. We did not go to the Pensildon fête. Milly had a cold and
kept her room, much to the regret of the Miss Collingwoods, who