me up
to-day: says it is urgent. What shall I do, Miss Keys?"

"Why, go, of course," said Bertha; "here is Mrs. Aylmer. Mrs. Aylmer,
Mr. Trevor has had an urgent telegram from his mother. She wants to see
him."

Mrs. Aylmer looked annoyed.

"I wanted you to come with me this morning, Maurice," she said, "on an
expedition to Warren's Cove. I thought you might drive me in a pony
carriage."

"I can do that," said Bertha, in her brisk way.

"Of course you can, my dear, if Maurice feels that he really must
go.--When can you be back again?"

"I will try and return to-morrow," said Trevor; "but, of course, it
depends on what really ails mother. From the tone of her telegram I
should say she was ill."

"And I should say nothing of the kind," answered Mrs. Aylmer shortly;
"she is one of those faddists who are always imagining that they
require----"

"Hush!" said Trevor, in a stern voice.

"What do you mean by 'hush?'"

"I would rather you did not say anything against my mother, please."

He spoke with such harshness and such determination that Bertha trembled
in her shoes, but Mrs. Aylmer gave him a glance of admiration.

"You are a good boy to stand up for her," she said; "yes, go, by all
means: only return to me, your second mother, as soon as you can."

"Thanks," he answered, softening a little; but the gloomy look did not
leave his face.

"I will walk with you to the station, Mr. Trevor," said Bertha, who
thought that he required soothing, and felt that she was quite capable
of administering consolation.

"Thanks," he replied; "I shall ask the station porter to call for my
portmanteau."

CHAPTER IX.

A TEMPTING OFFER.

By the next train Bertha saw Maurice Trevor off to London. When she had
done so, she went slowly in the direction of the sands. She had induced
Mrs. Aylmer to put off her drive until the afternoon. Bertha was now
very anxious to see Florence.

In all probability Florence would be on the beach: she would know that
Bertha was coming to get the answer which Florence had not given her the
day before. She walked slowly, holding her parasol up to shade her face
from the sun, and thinking her thoughts.

"At any rate, Maurice Trevor is safe for the day," she said to herself;
"and before the evening has passed, I shall have Florence's promise that
she will not betray me to Mrs. Aylmer. Mrs. Aylmer is just the sort of
person, if Florence made the worst of things, to turn against me an