, and with a
sudden effort Rachel changed her manner.

"Here is the carriage," she said. "I hope, Mr. Hollingford, you will not
greet Mr. and Mrs. Hill with that panic-stricken look. You are a great
favourite with them, and they will be glad to see you. Pray do not look
so shocked. They will think you have seen a ghost."

"Would to God I had--rather than have seen you," he murmured to himself,
and I heard him.

The carriage drew up beside us, and Mr. Hill jumped out. He was an
odd-looking man, with a bald, benevolent forehead, a pair of honest
brown eyes, which glared about with a sort of fierce good-humour, white
hair, and white thick-set whiskers. Mrs. Hill sat within the carriage, a
mild-looking fat little lady, with rosy cheeks and a piping voice,
holding hugged in her arms something which looked like a bundle of
fleecy wool, but which I afterwards knew to be a favourite dog.

"Eh, Hollingford, my lad, I am glad to see you. How are you? and your
good mother?" said the old gentleman, grasping John's hand, and glaring
kindly in his face.

"Well, Mr. Hill; well, thank you," answered John, but he kept his stern,
absent demeanour, as if he could not, or would not, shake off the spell
that had come over him, which made him look like a cold, unfaithful,
unlifelike copy of himself.

The sharp trebles of the ladies' voices rang about my ears, but it was
only by an effort that I could take in the meaning of what they said, so
observant was I of John's severe glance which followed every movement of
Rachel, as she stood chatting to me with a merriment which I could not
but think was nervous and assumed.

Mr. Hill was rallying John upon his gravity, kindly and delicately, even
in the midst of the natural noisy bluster of his manner. And somehow I
divined readily, even out of the distraction of wonder that had come
upon me, that the fine old gentleman, remembering certain thorns in
John's way, was touched at seeing him proud and reserved in the presence
of his natural equals, who had not sunk in the world's favour, and who
had got no stain upon their name.

"Will you come and dine with us this evening at seven?" said Mr. Hill.
"You and I must have much to talk about. I have been too long absent
from this place, but even already I see new things around which delight
me. I shall be blind and helpless here till you open my eyes and set me
on my feet."

I noticed, or I fancied I noticed, that Rachel faltered on the words s