Augusta Darrell was almost always with us. I was sorely puzzled and
perplexed by her conduct at this time. It seemed to be all that a
kind stepmother's could be. Her old indifferent air had quite
vanished; she was more cordial, more affectionately interested in
Milly's happiness than I had supposed it possible she could be. The
girl was completely melted by the change in her manner, and
responded to this new warmth with artless confidence in its reality.

I remembered all I had seen and all I had suspected, and I could not
bring myself to believe implicitly in Milly's stepmother. There was
a shadowy fear, a vague distrust in my mind, not to be put away.

As I have said, she was always with us, entering into all our simple
amusements with an appearance of girlish pleasure. Our picnics, our
sketching expeditions, our afternoon tea-parties at the Priory, our
croquet-matches with the Rector's daughters, seemed all alike
agreeable to her. I noticed that her toilet was always perfect on
theses occasions, and that she neglected no art which could add to
her attractiveness; but she never in any way attempted to absorb Mr.
Egerton's attention--she never ignored his position as Milly's
accepted suitor.

For a long time I was deceived by her manner--almost convinced that
if she had ever cared for Angus Egerton in the past, it was a
passion that had died out of her heart. But there came a day when
one look of hers betrayed the real state of the case, and showed me
that all this newly-awakened regard for Milly, and pleasant
participation in her happiness, had been only a careful piece of
acting. It was nothing but a look--one earnest, despairing,