but she does not know him as I do. I am at the cottage nearly every
day."

Malcolm listened and smiled, but he could not have spoken at that
moment. How little she guessed how her words stabbed him! She could
tell him to his face that life was worth living "because there was some
one dependent on her for earthly comfort," and yet she could leave him
hungering and thirsting in that sad pilgrimage of his. All her thoughts
and sweet ministries were for David's father. "It is for him," he
thought bitterly; "he is my rival still--dead as well as living. She is
very faithful: she will not forget him, and her heart is still closed
to me."

Elizabeth did not seem to notice his silence; she talked on about Mr.
Charrington, and the new schools; and then Cedric came flying down the
path to meet them, and the next moment Malcolm saw Dinah smiling in the
porch.

After dinner that evening they gathered round the fire, for the nights
were still chilly, and Elizabeth joined the circle to hear Cedric's
scheme discussed.

From his dark corner Malcolm watched her. In spite of her unrelieved
black and absence of ornaments, she was looking more like the old
Elizabeth. She grew interested and then quite absorbed in Cedric's
project, and soon began discussing it with her wonted vivacity. When
Malcolm made some damping remark, she argued the point with him in a
most peremptory fashion, and was quite Elizabethan in her rebuke.

"That is the worst of talking to a lawyer," she said severely: "his
legal mind takes such cut-and-dried views. Granted that it is a
speculation, it seems a promising one; and nothing venture, nothing
have. I don't know how you feel, Die, but I am quite willing to do my
share." Then Dinah, who was in quite a flutter of excitement and
pleasure, looked at her adviser in a timid, deprecating fashion.

"If Mr. Herrick thinks we are not imprudent, I should like to do as
Cedric wishes," she replied; "though there is no need to touch your
money, Betty." But Elizabeth took no notice of this remark.

"I have a proposal to make," she went on in such an animated voice that
Malcolm quite started. "Why should we not all go down and see the
place? And Mr. Strickland could come too. Donnarton is only three hours
from town; it would be a sort of picnic excursion, and I know Dinah
would like it."

"Bravo, Betty, what a brick you are!" exclaimed Cedric boisterously;
and Malcolm observed in a low voice that it was an excellent ide