o the carriage, and the porter has been
duly tipped and has departed, Captain Kynaston hears a soft voice behind
him.

"I have come to wish you good-bye again." He turns, flushing at the sound
of the sweet familiar voice, and sees Vera in her long ulster, and her
face hidden behind her veil, by his side.

"Good Heavens, Vera! _you_--out on such a morning?"

"I could not let you go away without--without--one kind word," she
begins, stammering painfully, her voice shaking so, as she speaks, that
he cannot fail to divine her agitation, even though he cannot see the
lovely troubled face that has been so carefully screened from his gaze.

"This is too good of you," he begins. That very minute a brougham dashes
rapidly up to the station.

"It is the Shadonake carriage!" cried Vera, casting a terrified glance
behind her. "Who can it be? they will see me."

"Jump into the train," he answers, hurriedly, and, without a thought
beyond an instinct of self-preservation for the moment, she obeys him.
Maurice follows her quickly, closing the carriage door behind him.
"Nobody can have seen you," he says. "I daresay it is only some visitors
going away; they could not have noticed you. Oh! Vera," turning with
sudden earnestness to her; "how am I ever to thank you for this great
kindness to me?"

"It is nothing; only a five minutes' walk before breakfast. It is no
trouble to me; and I did not want you to think me unfeeling, or unkind
to you."

Before she could speak another word the carriage door was violently
slammed to, and the guard's sharp shrill whistle heralded the departure
of the train. With a cry, Vera sprang towards the door; before she could
reach it, Maurice, who had perceived instantly what had happened, had let
down the window and was shouting to the porter. It was too late. The
train was off.

Vera sank back hopelessly upon the seat; and Maurice, according to the
manners and customs of infuriated Britons, gave utterance to a very
laconic word of bad import below his breath.

"I wouldn't have had this happen for ten thousand pounds!" he said, after
a minute, looking at her in blank despair.

Vera was taking off her veil mechanically; when he could see her face, he
perceived that she was very white.

"Never mind," she said, with a faint smile; "there is no real harm done.
It is unfortunate, that is all. The train stops at Tripton. I can get out
there and walk home."

"Five miles! and it is I who have got you