l you? I cannot bear it--all the long hours and days and
nights going on, and you not there, but away because you hate me!'

'Not hate you, Elfride,' he said gently, and supported her with his arm.
'But you cannot stay here now--just at present, I mean.'

'I suppose I must not--I wish I might. I am afraid that if--you lose
sight of me--something dark will happen, and we shall not meet again.
Harry, if I am not good enough to be your wife, I wish I could be your
servant and live with you, and not be sent away never to see you again.
I don't mind what it is except that!'

'No, I cannot send you away: I cannot. God knows what dark future may
arise out of this evening's work; but I cannot send you away! You must
sit down, and I will endeavour to collect my thoughts and see what had
better be done.

At that moment a loud knocking at the house door was heard by both,
accompanied by a hurried ringing of the bell that echoed from attic to
basement. The door was quickly opened, and after a few hasty words of
converse in the hall, heavy footsteps ascended the stairs.

The face of Mr. Swancourt, flushed, grieved, and stern, appeared round
the landing of the staircase. He came higher up, and stood beside them.
Glancing over and past Knight with silent indignation, he turned to the
trembling girl.

'O Elfride! and have I found you at last? Are these your tricks, madam?
When will you get rid of your idiocies, and conduct yourself like a
decent woman? Is my family name and house to be disgraced by acts that
would be a scandal to a washerwoman's daughter? Come along, madam;
come!'

'She is so weary!' said Knight, in a voice of intensest anguish. 'Mr.
Swancourt, don't be harsh with her--let me beg of you to be tender with
her, and love her!'

'To you, sir,' said Mr. Swancourt, turning to him as if by the sheer
pressure of circumstances, 'I have little to say. I can only remark,
that the sooner I can retire from your presence the better I shall be
pleased. Why you could not conduct your courtship of my daughter like an
honest man, I do not know. Why she--a foolish inexperienced girl--should
have been tempted to this piece of folly, I do not know. Even if she
had not known better than to leave her home, you might have, I should
think.'

'It is not his fault: he did not tempt me, papa! I came.'

'If you wished the marriage broken off, why didn't you say so plainly?
If you never intended to marry, why could you not leave her alo