oden shed which formed the station here, into the rheumy
air and along the road to the open country. Picotee occasionally
questioned Ethelberta on the object of the strange journey: she did not
question closely, being satisfied that in such sure hands as Ethelberta's
she was safe.

Deeming it unwise to make any inquiry just yet beyond the simple one of
the way to Farnfield, Ethelberta led her companion along a newly-fenced
road across a heath. In due time they came to an ornamental gate with a
curved sweep of wall on each side, signifying the entrance to some
enclosed property or other. Ethelberta, being quite free from any
digested plan for encouraging Neigh in his resolve to wive, was startled
to find a hope in her that this very respectable beginning before their
eyes was the entrance to the Farnfield property: that she hoped it was
nevertheless unquestionable. Just beyond lay a turnpike-house, where was
dimly visible a woman in the act of putting up a shutter to the front
window.

Compelled by this time to come to special questions, Ethelberta
instructed Picotee to ask of this person if the place they had just
passed was the entrance to Farnfield Park. The woman replied that it
was. Directly she had gone indoors Ethelberta turned back again towards
the park gate.

'What have we come for, Berta?' said Picotee, as she turned also.

'I'll tell you some day,' replied her sister.

It was now much past eight o'clock, and, from the nature of the evening,
dusk. The last stopping up-train was about ten, so that half-an-hour
could well be afforded for looking round. Ethelberta went to the gate,
which was found to be fastened by a chain and padlock.

'Ah, the London season,' she murmured.

There was a wicket at the side, and they entered. An avenue of young fir
trees three or four feet in height extended from the gate into the mist,
and down this they walked. The drive was not in very good order, and the
two women were frequently obliged to walk on the grass to avoid the rough
stones in the carriage-way. The double line of young firs now abruptly
terminated, and the road swept lower, bending to the right, immediately
in front being a large lake, calm and silent as a second sky. They could
hear from somewhere on the margin the purl of a weir, and around were
clumps of shrubs, araucarias and deodars being the commonest.

Ethelberta could not resist being charmed with the repose of the spot,
and hastened on w