e to face with ideas as well as
people,--ideas that were not among her familiars,--was very
disagreeable; all the more that Mr. Nightingale had contrived
to infuse rather more spirit into his part of the performance
than was absolutely needful. Wych Hazel looked unmistakeably
disturbed, and her eyes never quitted the ground. The
audience, quite failing to catch her mood, only applauded.

'Capital!' said General Merrick. 'Positively capital! If it
was a real case, and she in momentary expectation of her
father, she might look just so.'

'Or if she had accidentally escaped with the wrong person,'
said Captain Lancaster, who would have rather preferred to be
in Mr. Nightingale's position himself.

'No,' said one of the ladies, 'she is not afraid,--what is
she?'

'She is Wych Hazel,' said Mr. Kingsland. 'Do you see what a
breath came then? Not complimentary to Nightingale--but he can
find somebody else to turn his head.'

Meanwhile, they all standing so, the old clergyman began his
office.

'Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife?' he demanded
audibly enough. And Stuart's reply came clear--

'I will.'

'Wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband?'

He had turned towards the pretty peasant girl who stood there
with her eyes cast down, and expectation was a-tiptoe. Before
the eyes were lifted, and before an answer could be returned,
another actor came upon the scene. The countryman who wore the
dark blue cloth bound with crimson, stepped into the group
from his place at the side of the curtain. He wore his broad-
brimmed hat, but removed his domino as he came upon the stage.
Yet he stood so that the audience were not in position to see
his face. They heard his voice.

'There is a mistake here,' he said with and excellent French
accent on his English. 'This lady is a--what you call--she has
no power to dispose of herself.'

The clergyman looked somewhat doubtful and astonished; he had
not been prepared for this turn of the play; but it was all in
keeping, the interruption came naturally, quietly; he had to
meet it accordingly. Stuart's face darkened; he knew better;
nevertheless for him too there was but one thing possible, to
go on and play the play. His face was all in keeping, too. The
anger of the one and the doubt of the other actor were all
proper to the action and only helped the effect.

'Diable! what do you want here?' the young peasant exclaimed.

'What is all this, sir? what is th