ed him:--

"I suppose it isn't quite fair to surprise you like that," she said,
with an honest girlish hand-shake, "for you see I know all about you
now, and what you are doing here, and even when you were expected; and
I dare say you thought we were still in England, if you remembered us
at all. And we haven't met since that day at Ashley Church when I put my
foot in it,--or rather on your pet protege's, the Indian's: you remember
Major Atherly's tomb? And to think that all the while we didn't know
that you were a public man and a great political reformer, and had a fad
like this. Why, we'd have got up meetings for you, and my father would
have presided,--he's always fond of doing these things,--and we'd have
passed resolutions, and given you subscriptions, and Bibles, and flannel
shirts, and revolvers--but I believe you draw the line at that. My
brother was saying only the other day that you weren't half praised
enough for going in for this sort of thing when you were so rich,
and needn't care. And so that's why you rushed away from Ashley
Grange,--just to come here and work out your mission?"

His whole life, his first wild Californian dream, his English visit, the
revelation of Gray Eagle, the final collapse of his old beliefs, were
whirling through his brain to the music of this clear young voice. And
by some cruel irony of circumstance it seemed now to even mock his later
dreams of expiation as it also called back his unhappy experience of the
last week.

"Have you--have you"--he stammered with a faint smile, "seen my sister?"

"Not yet," said Lady Elfrida. "I believe she is not well and is confined
to her room; you will introduce me, won't you?" she added eagerly. "Of
course, when we heard that there was an Atherly here we inquired about
you; and I told them you were a relation of ours," she went on with a
half-mischievous shyness,--"you remember the de Bracys,--and they seemed
surprised and rather curious. I suppose one does not talk so much about
these things over here, and I dare say you have so much to occupy your
mind you don't talk of us in England." With the quickness of a refined
perception she saw a slight shade in his face, and changed the subject.
"And we have had such a jolly time; we have met so many pleasant people;
and they've all been so awfully good to us, from the officials and
officers down to the plainest working-man. And all so naturally too--so
different from us. I sometimes think we have