fred's tutor--you have seen him--he has been very ill all
summer. He is a sick man, staying in the village."

"And what have you to do with such a person?"

"Nothing in the world! I stopped there to rest myself, because I was
too tired to walk home."

He smiled at her kindling indignation, and gave her a kiss by way of
forgiveness for it; then went on gravely.

"You have been to that cottage before, Eleanor?"

"Yes."

"How was that?"

"I went with Julia when she was carrying some refreshments to her sick
friend. I will do that for anybody, Mr. Carlisle."

"Say that over again," he said calmly, but with a manner that shewed he
would have it. And Eleanor could not resist.

"I would do that for anybody, Macintosh," she said gently, laying her
hand upon his arm.

"No, darling. You shall send nurses and supplies to all the folk in the
kingdom--if you will--but you shall pay such honour as this to nobody
but me."

"Mr. Carlisle," said Eleanor rousing again, "if I am not worthy your
trust, I am not fit to do either you or anybody else honour."

She had straightened herself up to face him as she said this, but it
was mortifying to feel how little she could rouse him. He only drew her
back into his arms, folding her close and kissing her again and again.

"You are naughty," he said, "but you are good. You are as sweet as a
rose, Eleanor. My wife will obey me, in a few things, and she shall
command me in all others. Darling, I wish you not to be seen in the
village again alone. Let some one attend you, if I am not at hand."

He suffered her to return to her embroidery; but though Eleanor's heart
beat and her cheek was flushed with contending feelings, she could not
find a word to say. Her heart rebelled against the authority held over
her; nevertheless it subdued her; she dared not bring her rebellion
into open light. She shrank from that; and hid now in her own thoughts
all the new revelations she had meant to draw forth for Mr. Carlisle's
entertainment. Now was no time. In fact Eleanor's consciousness made
her afraid that if she mentioned her religious purposes and uneasiness,
this man's acuteness would catch at the connecting link between the new
dereliction of duty and the former which had been just rebuked. That
would lay her open to imputations and suspicions too dishonouring to be
risked, and impossible to disprove, however false. She must hold her
tongue for the present; and Eleanor worked on at her embro