presence
is disagreeable to you, I will relieve you of it.'

'Are you going back to them, then?' said she, carelessly.

'No,' exclaimed he, with harsh and startling emphasis. 'I will not go
back to them! And I will never stay with them one moment longer than I
think right, for you or any other tempter! But you needn't mind that; I
shall never trouble you again by intruding my company upon you so
unseasonably.'

He left the room: I heard the hall-door open and shut, and immediately
after, on putting aside the curtain, I saw him pacing down the park, in
the comfortless gloom of the damp, cloudy twilight.

'It would serve you right, Annabella,' said I, at length, 'if Lord
Lowborough were to return to his old habits, which had so nearly effected
his ruin, and which it cost him such an effort to break: you would then
see cause to repent such conduct as this.'

'Not at all, my dear! I should not mind if his lordship were to see fit
to intoxicate himself every day: I should only the sooner be rid of him.'

'Oh, Annabella!' cried Milicent. 'How can you say such wicked things!
It would, indeed, be a just punishment, as far as you are concerned, if
Providence should take you at your word, and make you feel what others
feel, that--' She paused as a sudden burst of loud talking and laughter
reached us from the dining-room, in which the voice of Hattersley was
pre-eminently conspicuous, even to my unpractised ear.

'What you feel at this moment, I suppose?' said Lady Lowborough, with a
malicious smile, fixing her eyes upon her cousin's distressed
countenance.

The latter offered no reply, but averted her face and brushed away a
tear. At that moment the door opened and admitted Mr. Hargrave, just a
little flushed, his dark eyes sparkling with unwonted vivacity.

'Oh, I'm so glad you're come, Walter?' cried his sister. 'But I wish you
could have got Ralph to come too.'

'Utterly impossible, dear Milicent,' replied he, gaily. 'I had much ado
to get away myself. Ralph attempted to keep me by violence; Huntingdon
threatened me with the eternal loss of his friendship; and Grimsby, worse
than all, endeavoured to make me ashamed of my virtue, by such galling
sarcasms and innuendoes as he knew would wound me the most. So you see,
ladies, you ought to make me welcome when I have braved and suffered so
much for the favour of your sweet society.' He smilingly turned to me
and bowed as he finished the sentence.

'Isn't h