ttle as I."

How proud, how ineffaceably superior she was!

"Be ignorant for ever," he answered quietly.

"I do not need the counsel, believe me."

Her hand trembled, though it rested against the window-trembled with
indignation: the insult of his elopement kept beating up her throat in
spite of her.

At that moment a servant knocked, entered, and said that a parcel
had been brought for mademoiselle. It was laid upon the table.
Delia, wondering, ordered it to be opened. A bundle of clothes was
disclosed--Andree's! Gaston recognised them, and caught his breath with
wonder and confusion.

"Who has sent them?" Delia said to the servant. "They come from the
Chateau Ronan, mademoiselle."

Delia dismissed the servant.

"The Chateau Ronan?" she asked of Gaston. "Where I am living."

"It is not necessary to speak of this?" She flushed.

"Not at all. I will have them sent back. There is a little shop near by
where you can get what you may need."

Andree had acted according to her lights. It was not an olive-branch,
but a touch of primitive hospitality. She was Delia's enemy at sight,
but a woman must have linen.

Mr. Gasgoyne entered. Gaston prepared to go. "Is there anything more
that I can do?" he said, as it were, to both.

The girl replied. "Nothing at all, thank you." They did not shake hands.

Mr. Gasgoyne could not think that all had necessarily ended. The thing
might be patched up one day yet. This affair with the dompteuse was mad
sailing, but the man might round-to suddenly and be no worse for the
escapade.

"We are going early in the morning," he said. "We can get along all
right. Good-bye. When do you come to England?"

The reply was prompt. "In a few weeks."

He looked at both. The girl, seeing that he was going to speak further,
bowed and left the room.

His eyes followed her. After a moment, he said firmly

"Mr. Gasgoyne, I am going to face all."

"To live it down, Belward?"

"I am going to fight it down."

"Well, there's a difference. You have made a mess of things, and shocked
us all. I needn't say what more. It's done, and now you know what such
things mean to a good woman--and, I hope also, to the father of a good
woman."

The man's voice broke a little. He added:

"They used to come to swords or pistols on such points. We can't settle
it in that way. Anyhow, you have handicapped us to-day." Then, with
a burst of reproach, indignation, and trouble: "Great God, as if
you hadn't