gain, never as long as I live!"

There was a quiver of passion in her voice. She looked at Scott with what
was almost a challenge in her eyes.

He did not answer it. His face wore a look of perplexity. But, "If I were
in your place," he said quietly, "I think I should say the same."

"I am sure you would," she said warmly. "I only tolerated it so long
because I didn't know what freedom was like. When I went to Switzerland,
I found out; and when I came back, it just wasn't endurable any longer.
But I wish I knew--I do wish I knew--what I were going to do."

The words were out before she could stop them, but the moment they were
uttered she made a sharp gesture as though she would recall them.

"I'm silly to talk like this," she said. "Please forget it!"

He smiled a little. "Not silly, Dinah," he said, "but mistaken. Believe
me, the future is already provided for."

Her brows contracted slightly. "Ah, you are good," she said. "You believe
in God."

"So do you," he said, with quiet conviction.

Her lip quivered. "I believe He would help anyone like you, but--but He
wouldn't bother Himself about me. There are too many others of the same
sort."

Scott looked at her in genuine astonishment. "What a curious idea!" he
said. "You don't really think that, do you?"

She nodded. "I can't help it. Life is such a maze of difficulties, and
one has to face them all alone."

"You won't face yours alone," he said quickly.

She smiled rather piteously. "I've faced all the worst bits alone so
far."

"I know," Scott said. "But you are through the worst now."

She shook her head doubtfully. "I'm afraid of life," she said.

He saw that she did not wish to pursue the subject and put it gently
aside. "Shall we go in?" he said. "I should like to be at hand when
Isabel wakes."

She turned beside him at once. Their talk went back to Isabel. They spoke
of her tenderly, as one nearing the end of a long and wearisome journey,
and as they approached the little white house on the heath above the sea,
Dinah gave somewhat hesitating utterance to a thought that had been
persistently in her mind of late.

"Do you," she said, speaking with evident effort, "think that--Eustace
should be sent for?"

"Does she want him?" said Scott.

"I don't know. She never speaks of him. But then--that may be--for my
sake." Dinah's voice was very low and not wholly free from distress. "And
again--it may be on my account he is keeping away. She hasn'