‘Up here, sir?’

‘Up here, sir; but if you object, she shall go down again.’

‘Is this a place, or am I a person, to bring a lady to, you absurd lad?’

‘No; so I’ll take her off.’

‘Martin, you will stay here. Who is she?’

‘Your grandmother from that château on the Scheldt Miss Moore talks about.’

‘Martin,’ said the softest whisper at the door, ‘don’t be foolish.’

‘Is she there?’ inquired Moore hastily.

He had caught an imperfect sound.

‘She is there, fit to faint; she is standing on the mat, shocked at your want of filial affection.’

‘Martin, you are an evil cross between an imp and a page. What is she like?’

‘More like me than you; for she is young and beautiful.’

‘You are to show her forward. Do you hear?’

‘Come, Miss Caroline.’

‘Miss Caroline!’ repeated Moore.

And when Miss Caroline entered, she was encountered in the middle of the chamber by a tall, thin, wasted figure, who took both her hands.

‘I give you a quarter of an hour,’ said Martin, as he withdrew; ‘no more. Say what you have to say in that time; till it is past, I will wait in the gallery; nothing shall approach; I’ll see you safe away. Should you persist in staying longer, I leave you to your fate.’

He shut the door. In the gallery he was as elate as a king; he had never been engaged in an adventure he liked so well; for no adventure had ever invested him with so much importance, or inspired him with so much interest.

‘You are come at last,’ said the meagre man, gazing on his visitress with hollow eyes.

‘Did you expect me before?’

‘For a month—near two months, we have been very near; and I have been in sad pain, and danger, and misery, Cary.’

‘I could not come.’

‘Couldn’t you? But the Rectory and Briarmains are very near, not two miles apart.’

There was pain—there was pleasure in the girl’s face as she listened to these implied reproaches; it was sweet—it was bitter to defend herself.

‘When I say I could not come, I mean I could not see you; for I came with mamma the very day we heard what had happened. Mr. MacTurk then told us it was impossible to admit any stranger.’