Janet was that he had met one of the gardeners in the conservatory, and
had cautioned him as well as the lodge-keeper. It would have been easy
to write this, and to send the note to his aunt on quitting the house.
For the sake of his own peace of mind, for the sake of his duty to
Horace, he was doubly bound to make the first polite excuse that
occurred to him, and to leave her as he had found her, alone in the
room. He made the attempt, and hesitated. Despising himself for doing
it, he allowed himself to look at her. Their eyes met. Julian stepped
into the dining-room.

"If I am not in the way," he said, confusedly, "I will wait, as you
kindly propose."

She noticed his embarrassment; she saw that he was strongly restraining
himself from looking at her again. Her own eyes dropped to the ground as
she made the discovery. Her speech failed her; her heart throbbed faster
and faster.

"If I look at him again" (was the thought in _her_ mind) "I shall fall
at his feet and tell him all that I have done!"

"If I look at her again" (was the thought in _his_ mind) "I shall fall
at her feet and own that I am in love with her!"

With downcast eyes he placed a chair for her. With downcast eyes she
bowed to him and took it. A dead silence followed. Never was any human
misunderstanding more intricately complete than the misunderstanding
which had now established itself between those two.

Mercy's work-basket was near her. She took it, and gained time for
composing herself by pretending to arrange the colored wools. He stood
behind her chair, looking at the graceful turn of her head, looking at
the rich masses of her hair. He reviled himself as the weakest of men,
as the falsest of friends, for still remaining near her--and yet he
remained.

The silence continued. The billiard-room door opened again noiselessly.
The face of the listening woman appeared stealthily behind it.

At the same moment Mercy roused herself and spoke: "Won't you sit down?"
she said, softly, still not looking round at him, still busy with her
basket of wools.

He turned to get a chair--turned so quickly that he saw the
billiard-room door move, as Grace Roseberry closed it again.

"Is there any one in that room?" he asked, addressing Mercy.

"I don't know," she answered. "I thought I saw the door open and shut
again a little while ago."

He advanced at once to look into the room. As he did so Mercy dropped
one of her balls of wool. He stopped to p