s absence is not surprising. An owner of Grex, with
large means at his disposal and with a taste for the picturesque
to gratify,--one who could afford to pay for memories and who was
willing to pay dearly for such luxuries, might no doubt restore Grex.
But the Earl had neither the money nor the taste.

Lord Grex had latterly never gone near the place, nor was his son
Lord Percival fond of looking upon the ruin of his property. But Lady
Mabel loved it with a fond love. With all her lightness of spirit she
was prone to memories, prone to melancholy, prone at times almost to
seek the gratification of sorrow. Year after year when the London
season was over she would come down to Grex and spend a week or two
amidst its desolation. She was now going on to a seat in Scotland
belonging to Mrs. Montacute Jones called Killancodlem; but she was in
the meanwhile passing a desolate fortnight at Grex in company with
Miss Cassewary. The gardens were let,--and being let of course were
not kept in further order than as profit might require. The man who
rented them lived in the big house with his wife, and they on such
occasions as this would cook and wait upon Lady Mabel.

Lady Mabel was at the home of her ancestors, and the faithful Miss
Cass was with her. But at the moment and at the spot at which the
reader shall see her, Miss Cass was not with her. She was sitting on
a rock about twelve feet above the lake looking upon the black water;
and on another rock a few feet from her was seated Frank Tregear.
"No," she said, "you should not have come. Nothing can justify it. Of
course as you are here I could not refuse to come out with you. To
make a fuss about it would be the worst of all. But you should not
have come."

"Why not? Whom does it hurt? It is a pleasure to me. If it be the
reverse to you, I will go."

"Men are so unmanly. They take such mean advantages. You know it is a
pleasure to me to see you."

"I had hoped so."

"But it is a pleasure I ought not to have,--at least not here."

"That is what I do not understand," said he. "In London, where the
Earl could bark at me if he happened to find me, I could see the
inconvenience of it. But here, where there is nobody but Miss Cass--"

"There are a great many others. There are the rooks, and stones, and
old women;--all of which have ears."

"But of what is there to be ashamed? There is nothing in the world to
me so pleasant as the companionship of my friends."

"Then go