e made no overt advances. By
the middle of November, a theory made up of a combination of the other
two was received with general favour: its substance being that a guilty
intrigue had been commenced between Manston and Miss Aldclyffe, some
years before, when he was a very young man, and she still in the
enjoyment of some womanly beauty, but now that her seniority began
to grow emphatic she was becoming distasteful to him. His fear of the
effect of the lady's jealousy would, they said, thus lead him to conceal
from her his new attachment to Cytherea. Almost the only woman who did
not believe this was Cytherea herself, on unmistakable grounds, which
were hidden from all besides. It was not only in public, but even more
markedly in secluded places, on occasions when gallantry would have been
safe from all discovery, that this guarded course of action was pursued,
all the strength of a consuming passion burning in his eyes the while.

2. NOVEMBER THE EIGHTEENTH

It was on a Friday in this month of November that Owen Graye paid a
visit to his sister.

His zealous integrity still retained for him the situation at Budmouth,
and in order that there should be as little interruption as possible to
his duties there, he had decided not to come to Knapwater till late in
the afternoon, and to return to Budmouth by the first train the next
morning, Miss Aldclyffe having made a point of frequently offering him
lodging for an unlimited period, to the great pleasure of Cytherea.

He reached the house about four o'clock, and ringing the bell, asked of
the page who answered it for Miss Graye.

When Graye spoke the name of his sister, Manston, who was just coming
out from an interview with Miss Aldclyffe, passed him in the vestibule
and heard the question. The steward's face grew hot, and he secretly
clenched his hands. He half crossed the court, then turned his head and
saw that the lad still stood at the door, though Owen had been shown
into the house. Manston went back to him.

'Who was that man?' he said.

'I don't know, sir.'

'Has he ever been here before?'

'Yes, sir.'

'How many times?'

'Three.'

'You are sure you don't know him?'

'I think he is Miss Graye's brother, sir.'

'Then, why the devil didn't you say so before!' Manston exclaimed, and
again went on his way.

'Of course, that was not the man of my dreams--of course, it couldn't
be!' he said to himself. 'That I should be such a fool--such an utter
fool