wearying you with talk about myself. I
hope you'll excuse it. The truth is, I have
no one that I can speak to about her. I
dare not say to the vicar what I have said
to you. And of course I don't put forward
my trouble, when he has so much of his
own to bear. I was led on to talk almost
unawares. You listen so patiently and
quietly. Here we are at the garden gate.
Shall I come up the pathway ? There is
Joanna at the door. Good night, Miss
Desmond."

Maud's eyes were so blurred with tears
that she did not at first perceive that old
Joanna had hastened to the door in order
to be the first to give her a letter which she
now held up triumphantly as Maud entered.

"A letter, Miss Maudie! One as you'll
be glad to have!"

It was from Hugh. Maud took it, and
ran to her own room to enjoy her treasure.

After a few fond lover's words of greeting,
the first that her eye lighted on were
these: " I have had a long interview with
Lady Gale."

CHAPTER IV. AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL.

"I HAVE had a long interview with Lady
Gale."

It was a minute or so before Maud
recollected Veronica's announced intention
of bestowing a marriage portion on her,
and of speaking to Hugh on the subject.
But Maud had warned her not to expect
that Hugh would yield. And yet Veronica
had persisted in her intention. It was,
doubtless, in order to fulfil it that she had
sought Hugh. The further perusal of her
letter confirmed this supposition. Maud
might, of course, have satisfied her mind
at once as to the correctness of her
guess; but, instead of doing so, she had
sat for a minute or two, letter in hand,
vaguely wondering and supposing — a
waywardness of mind that most people have
occasionally experienced under similar
circumstances.

"I told her that it could not be," wrote
Hugh; " that I knew you had already
answered for yourself, and that I must
entirely approve and confirm your answer.
Was not that right, dearest? She tried,
when her first attempt had failed, to take
a different tone, and to tell me that it was
right and just that you should have a
portion of the wealth left by Sir John Gale.
She even said a word about the duty of
carrying out her late husband's intentions!
Think of that, Maudie! But I took the
liberty of pointing out to her, that if that
were her object, she must make over every
farthing to you without loss of time, since
it was clear that Sir John Gale had never
intended that any portion of his wealth
should be enjoyed by her. I don't think
she is used to such plain speaking, and she
looked mightily astonished."

That was all in the letter relating to
Veronica, except a word at the end. " I
forgot to say that her ladyship did me the
honour to make me a confidence. She
informed me that she was to be married to
Prince Barletti almost immediately. For
obvious reasons the marriage would be
quite quiet. I saw the said prince; not an
ill-looking fellow, although there is
something queer about his eyes. Veronica told
me that Sir Matthew Gale had consented
to remain in town in order to give her
away! I had a strong impression that she
was telling me all this in order that it
might be communicated to you, and by you
to Mr. Levincourt. Oh, my sweet, pure
Maudie, what a perfume of goodness seems
to surround you! Only to think of you,
after being with that woman, refreshes
one's very soul."

Maud ran down-stairs, after reading her
letter through, to communicate to the vicar
that part of it which related to his daughter.
But Mr. Levincourt was not within. It
was past nine o'clock, yet Joanna said that
it was very likely her master would not
be at home for another hour or more.

"Do you know where he is?" asked
Maud.

"I don't know for certain, Miss Maudie,"
said the old woman, drily; " but I'd lay a
wager he's at Meggitt's. He hasn't been
there yet, since you've come back. But,
for better than three months before, he's
been there constant, evening after evening.
They're no fit company for such a gentleman
as master, farmer folks like them. I
wonder what he can find in them! But
they flatter him and butter him up. And
Mrs. Meggitt, she goes boasting all over
Shipley how thick her and hers is with the
vicar. Good Lord! if men ben't fools in
some things!"

"Hush, Joanna; you must not speak so.
The vicar knows better than you or I
either, where it is proper and fit for him
to go."

But although she thus rebuked the old
servant, Maud did not, in her heart, like
this new intimacy. It was part of the
general lowering, she had already noticed,
in the vicar's character.

She sat down alone in the parlour to