rtable, his fear that he might betray himself. Out there those last
few days--his eyes! And now! She brooded earnestly over what dress she
should put on. She, who tanned so quickly, had almost lost her sunburn
in the week of travelling and Oxford. To-day her eyes looked tired, and
she was pale. She was not going to disdain anything that might help.
She had reached thirty-six last month, and he would be nineteen
to-morrow! She decided on black. In black she knew that her neck looked
whiter, and the colour of her eyes and hair stranger. She put on no
jewellery, did not even pin a rose at her breast, took white gloves.
Since her husband did not come to her room, she went up the little
stairway to his. She surprised him ready dressed, standing by the
fireplace, smiling faintly. What was he thinking of, standing there with
that smile? Was there blood in him at all?

He inclined his head slightly and said:

"Good! Chaste as the night! Black suits you. Shall we find our way
down to these savage halls?"

And they went down.

Everyone was already there, waiting. A single neighbouring squire and
magistrate, by name Trusham, had been bidden, to make numbers equal.

Dinner was announced; they went in. At the round table in a dining-room,
all black oak, with many candles, and terrible portraits of departed
ancestors, Anna sat between the magistrate and Gordy. Mark was opposite,
between a quaint-looking old lady and a young girl who had not been
introduced, a girl in white, with very fair hair and very white skin,
blue eyes, and lips a little parted; a daughter evidently of the faded
Mrs. Doone. A girl like a silvery moth, like a forget-me-not! Anna
found it hard to take her eyes away from this girl's face; not that she
admired her exactly; pretty she was--yes; but weak, with those parted
lips and soft chin, and almost wistful look, as if her deep-blue
half-eager eyes were in spite of her. But she was young--so young! That
was why not to watch her seemed impossible. "Sylvia Doone?" Indeed!
Yes. A soft name, a pretty name--and very like her! Every time her eyes
could travel away from her duty to Squire Trusham, and to Gordy (on both
of whom she was clearly making an impression), she gazed at this girl,
sitting there by the boy, and whenever those two young things smiled and
spoke together she felt her heart contract and hurt her. Was THIS why
that something had gone out of his eyes? Ah, she was foolish!