He half led, half carried her through the hall, on the way to Augustina.

At the foot of the stairs, as Laura was making a tottering effort to
climb them with Helbeck's arm round her, Mrs. Denton came out of the
dining-room straight upon them. She carried a pan and brush, and had
evidently just begun her morning work.

At sight of her Laura started; but Helbeck gave her no chance to withdraw
herself. He turned quietly to his housekeeper, who stood transfixed.

"Good-morning, Denton. Miss Fountain has just returned, having walked
most of the way from Braeside. She is very tired, as you see--let some
breakfast be got ready for her at once. And let me tell you now--what I
should anyway have told you a few hours later--that Miss Fountain has
promised to be my wife."

He spoke with a cold dignity, scanning the woman closely. Mrs. Denton
grew very white. But she dropped a curtesy in old Westmoreland fashion.

"I wish you joy, sir--and Miss Fountain, too."

Her voice was low and mumbling, but Helbeck gave her a cheerful nod.

"Thank you. I shall be downstairs again as soon as I have taken Miss
Fountain to my sister--and I, too, should be glad of some breakfast."

"He's been agate all night," said the housekeeper to herself, as she
entered the study and looked at the chairs, the lamp which its master had
forgotten to extinguish, the open window. "An where's she been? Who
knows? I saw it from the first. It's a bewitchment--an it'll coom to noa