dded to Horace: "it will be best."

The young squire bent his head in sulky acquiescence.

"I shall take Percival with me," said Hammond to Mrs. Middleton as he
went by. "He wants to be off, I know, and I shall be of more use with
him than here."

He found Percival crushing his things into his little portmanteau and in
hot haste to get away from Brackenhill.

"I'm going by the four train," Hammond remarked, "and I've told them
you'll drive with me."

"In one of _his_ carriages?" said young Thorne, looking up with furious
eyes. "No, thank you: I'll walk."

"If you jumped out of that window you wouldn't have to go down his
staircase," said Hammond.

"Oh, if you came here to--" began the young man, tugging at a strap.

"I came here to ask you to drive with me in the dog-cart from the Crown.
It's no use pulling a strap _much_ past the tightest hole. Come, you are
not going to quarrel with me?"

"I'm a fool," said Percival. "I shall feel it all in a minute or two, I
suppose. Just now I only feel that everything belongs to the man who has
duped me, and every breath I draw is choking me."

"I understand," returned Hammond. "Percival, Mrs. Middleton is coming: I
hear her step. For her sake--to-day--Thorne, you will not break her
heart?"

The old lady was knocking at the half-open door. "Come in," said
Percival in a gentle voice. His portmanteau was strapped, and he rose as
she entered. "Come to say good-bye to me, Aunt Harriet? I'm off, you
see."

"Oh, Percival, I can't understand it!" she exclaimed. "Horace
married--_married_! And you going away like this! It is like a dream."

"So it seems to me," said the young man.

"And one of those Miss Blakes! Oh dear! what would Godfrey have said?
Oh, Percival, he never meant this!" She had her hand to her forehead as
she spoke.

"No," said Percival. "But don't fret about me: I shall do very well."

"But it isn't right. Oh, I don't know what to say or think, I am so
bewildered. Perhaps Horace has hardly had time to think yet, has he?"
she said faintly. "He will do something, I'm sure--"

"He mustn't--don't let him! I can hold my tongue if I'm let alone. But
if he insults me--" said Percival. "Aunt Harriet, for God's sake,
_don't_ let him offer me money."

"Ah!" in an accent of pain. "But my money! Percival, do you want any?
It's a good thing, as _he_ said, that Mr. Lisle didn't fail before you
came into yours, but if you want any--"

"But I don't," said Percival