'But I must go to Mary!' cried Louis, as though reproaching himself
for the delay. 'Oh! that she should have forced herself to that
wedding, and spared me!'

'I am coming with you,' said the Earl. 'She will require my personal
assurance that all this makes no difference to me.'

'I am more afraid of the difference it may make to her,' said Louis.
'You have never believed how fond she is of her father.'

On arriving, they were ushered into the room where Miss Ponsonby was
at breakfast, and a cup of tea and untasted roll showed where her
niece had been. She received them with stiff, upright chillness; and
to their hope that Mary was not unwell, replied--'Not very well. She
had been over-fatigued yesterday, and had followed her advice in
going to lie down.'

Louis began to imagine a determination to exclude him, and was
eagerly beginning to say that she had asked him to come that morning-
-could she not see him? when the lady continued, with the same
severity--'Until yesterday, I was not aware how much concern Lord
Fitzjocelyn had taken in what related to my niece.'

At that moment, when Louis's face was crimson with confusion and
impatience, the door was softly pushed ajar, and he heard himself
called in low, hoarse tones. Miss Ponsonby was rising with an air of
vexed surprise, but he never saw her, and, hastily crossing the room,
he shut the door behind him, and followed the form that flitted up
the stairs so fast, that he did not come up with her till she had
entered the drawing-room, and stood leaning against a chair to gather