is?' said the old minister.
'What do you here, sir?'

'I come for the lady.'

'The lady don't want to see you, you fool!' exclaimed Stuart.
'You needn't think it.'

'What authority have you here, sir, to interfere with my
office?' demanded the clergyman.

'Monsieur'--said the countryman hesitating, 'Monsieur knows.
This young girl is young--I represent the guardians of her. She
is minor; she has no property, nor no power to marry herself;
she had nothing at all. She has run away. Monsieur sees. Come,
you runaway!' he went on, advancing lightly to where the young
girl stood. 'Come with me! She has run away; there is no
marriage to-day, sir,' he added with a touch of his hat to the
old clergyman. And then, taking Wych Hazel's hand and putting
it on his arm he walked her out of the room. It was not as it
was few evenings ago; her hand was taken in earnest now and
held, and she was obliged to go as she was led. In the little
apartment which served as a green-room there were one or two
attendants. Rollo walked past them with a steady, swift step
which never stayed nor allowed his companion to stop, until he
reached the ladies' dressing-room. It was entirely empty now.
The very servants had gathered where they could see the play.
Here Rollo released his charge.

The first thing she did was to seat herself on the nearest
chair and look at him. Her first words were peculiar.

'If I could give you the least idea, Mr. Rollo, how
exceedingly disagreeable it is to have my hand taken in that
way, it is possible--I am not sure--but it is _possible_, you
would not do it. Your hands are so strong!' she said, looking
down at the little soft things in her lap. 'And my strength is
not practised.'

He looked grave, but spoke very gently, bending towards her as
if also considering the little hands.

'Did I act so well?' said he. 'You see that was because there
was so much earnest in it.'

'What made you do it?--is everything forbidden unless I ask
leave?'

'Do you want to know why I did it?'

'I did not like the play, either,' she said,--'and I did not
expect--part of it. But I had promised, and straight through
was the quickest way out. It would have done--everybody--too
much honour to make a fuss.'

'I did nobody any honour, and I made no fuss,' said Rollo, in
his old quaint fashion. 'And my way was the very quickest way
out for you.'

She jumped up, with a queer little inarticulate answer, that
covered all his stat