that false wife of yours and kin of mine; came of a cunning family on
the mother's side. Put it that she _was_ saved: if it suited her to let
us suppose she was drowned, why, she'd do it. _I_ know Dolly."

And poor Philip Hamlyn, assenting to the truth of this with all his
heart, went out to face the battle that might be coming upon him,
lacking the courage for it.


II.

The cold, clear afternoon air touching their healthy faces, and Jack
Frost nipping their noses, raced Miss West and Kate Dancox up and down
the hawthorn walk. It had pleased that arbitrary young damsel, who was
still very childish, to enter a protest against going beyond the grounds
that fine winter's day; she would be in the hawthorn walk, or nowhere;
and she would run races there. As Miss West gave in to her whims for
peace' sake in things not important, and as she was young enough herself
not to dislike running, to the hawthorn walk they went.

Captain Monk was recovering rapidly. His sudden illness had been caused
by drinking some cold cider when some out-door exercise had made him
dangerously hot. The alarm and apprehension had now subsided; and Mrs.
Hamlyn, arriving three days ago in answer to the hasty summons, was
thinking of returning to London.

"You are cheating!" called out Kate, flying off at a tangent to cross
her governess's path. "You've no right to get before me!"

"Gently," corrected Miss West. "My dear, we have run enough for to-day."