re to-morrow,
as soon as ever the dusk will permit you. Perhaps Mr. Carlyle will
contrive to bring him here. If--"

The window was thrown open, and the stentorian voice of Justice Hare was
heard from it.

"Barbara, are you wandering about there to take cold? Come in! Come in,
I say!"

"Oh, Richard, I am so sorry!" she lingered to whisper. "But papa is sure
to be out to-morrow evening; he would not stay in two evenings running.
Good-night, dear."

There must be no delay now, and the next day Barbara, braving comments,
appeared once more at the office of Mr. Carlyle. Terribly did the rules
of contrary seem in action just then. Mr. Carlyle was not in, and the
clerks did not know when to expect him; he was gone out for some hours,
they believed.

"Mr. Dill," urged Barbara, as the old gentleman came to the door to
greet her, "I _must_ see him."

"He will not be in till late in the afternoon, Miss Barbara. I expect
him then. Is it anything I can do?"

"No, no," sighed Barbara.

At that moment Lady Isabel and her little girl passed in the chariot.
She saw Barbara at her husband's door; what should she be doing there,
unless paying him a visit? A slight, haughty bow to Barbara, a pleasant
nod and smile to Mr. Dill, and the carriage bowled on.

It was four o'clock before Barbara could see Mr. Carlyle, and
communicate her tidings that Richard had arrived.

Mr. Carlyle held deceit and all underhand doings in especial abhorrence;
yet he deemed that he was acting right, under the circumstances, in
allowing Captain Thorn to be secretly seen by Richard Hare. In haste he
arranged his plans. It was the evening of his own dinner engagement at
Mrs. Jefferson's but that he must give up. Telling Barbara to dispatch
Richard to his office as soon as he should make his appearance at the
grove, and to urge him to come boldly and not fear, for none would know
him in his disguise, he wrote a hurried note to Thorn, requesting
him also to be at his office at eight o'clock that evening, as he had
something to communicate to him. The latter plea was no fiction, for
he had received an important communication that morning relative to the
business on which Captain Thorn had consulted him, and his own absence
from the office in the day had alone prevented his sending for him
earlier.

Other matters were calling the attention of Mr. Carlyle, and it was five
o'clock ere he departed for East Lynne; he would not have gone so early,
but that h