ngth of his stay, only in very brief fashion,
telling him to make no further arrangements for his departure until his
return.

"He does not trust me. He does not think me fit to take charge of his
affairs," said Harry to himself, with his vague remembrance of Allan's
share in the events of that miserable night, he could hardly wonder that
it should be so, and in his shame and impatience he was twenty times on
the point of breaking his connection with his employers, and going his
own way. However, he forced himself to wait a little.

"If I am sent West after all, well and good. If not I shall remain no
longer. The change of arrangements will be sufficient excuse, at least
I will make it so. I can't stay, and I won't. If he would but come
back and put an end to it all."

And Harry was not the only one who was impatient under the unreasonable
absence of Mr Ruthven. Poor Mr Elphinstone, ill and irritable,
suffered not an hour to pass without vexing himself and others,
wondering at, and lamenting, his delay. Lilias had much ado to keep him
from saying angry and bitter things about his nephew, and exaggerated
the few details she had gathered with regard to their recent losses, in
order to account to him for Allan's untimely devotion to business. Poor
girl, she looked sad and ill in these days, and grew irritable and
unreasonable amid the preparations of Mrs Roxbury, in a way that
shocked and alarmed that excellent and energetic lady. She considered
it a very equivocal proof of Lilias' love to her father, that she should
be so averse to the carrying out of his express wishes. There had been
nothing that is proper on such an occasion, and Mrs Roxbury seemed bent
on fulfilling his wishes to the very letter. So, at last, Lilias was
fain for the sake of peace to grow patient and grateful, and stayed more
and more closely in her father's room, and her aunt had her will in all
things that concerned the wedding, that under such melancholy
circumstances was drawing near.

"Graeme," said Harry, one night, when they were sitting together after
the rest had all gone up-stairs, "don't you think we have been
uncomfortable long enough? Don't you think you have given us enough of
that miserable, hopeless face for one occasion? I think a change would
be agreeable to all concerned. It would to me, at any rate."

Graeme was so startled at this speech, that for a little she could not
say a word. Then she said something about