been altogether pleasant to her. She had often felt how much she
would have liked it had the chance of her life enabled her to see
more frequently one whom as a child she had so intimately known.
But at the moment she lacked the courage to walk boldly across the
bridge, and thus to rid herself of Lawrence Twentyman. She had
already perceived that Morton's manner had rendered it impossible
that her lover should follow them. "I am afraid I must go home,"
she said. It was the very thing she did not want to do,--this
going home with Lawrence Twentyman; and yet she herself said that
she must do it,--driven to say so by a nervous dread of showing
herself to be fond of the other man's company.

"Good afternoon to you," said Morton very gloomily, waving his hat
and stalking across the bridge.



CHAPTER VI

Not in Love


Reginald Morton, as he walked across the bridge towards the house,
was thoroughly disgusted with all the world. He was very angry with
himself, feeling that he had altogether made a fool of himself by
his manner. He had shown himself to be offended, not only by Mr.
Twentyman, but by Miss Masters also, and he was well aware, as he
thought of it all, that neither of them had given him any cause of
offence. If she chose to make an appointment for a walk with Mr.
Lawrence Twentyman and to keep it, what was that to him? His anger