ly into
Arthur's face. It was drawn and fixed, and his lips were set, as if in
endurance of actual physical pain.

CHAPTER TEN.

Four days before Peggy left town she had an amusing encounter with one
of her old friends. The little party had divided, and while Mrs
Saville and Mellicent shopped in the West End, the colonel and his
daughter drove into the City to visit a collection of the pictures of
one of the old masters. They were sauntering through the second room
when Peggy's attention was attracted by a group standing at a few yards'
distance--a lady, a gentleman, and two little boys with Eton collars and
round-about jackets--a family group for a ducat, yet surely, surely
there was something familiar in the figure and bearing of the supposed
mother! She was tall and dignified, her clothes were quite miraculously
tidy, and the smooth, fair hair was plaited in Puritan fashion round the
head.

"Can it--can it be?" queried Peggy to herself; then, catching sight of a
long grave face, "It _is_!" she cried with a flash of joy, and walking
forward, planted herself deliberately in the stranger's path. What she
anticipated came precisely to pass, for the lady stepped back from her
position, collided violently with herself, and began hurriedly to
apologise.

"I beg your pardon! I did not see--I hope I have not hurt you." So far
in fluent unconsciousness; then suddenly she stopped short, gasped,
hesitated, stared hard at the face before her, and ejaculated a
breathless, "_Peggy--Saville_!"

"Esther Asplin! I knew it was you! I knew no one else in the world
could possess that back hair! How extraordinary to come across you
here! It's a marvel that Mellicent was not with me, but we were both
looking forward to seeing you at the vicarage at the end of the week!"

"I am on my way home now. I go down by the six o'clock train, and took
the opportunity of bringing the boys into town to see some of the
sights. They are such dears, Peggy. The one with the red hair is a
genius. You should see his Latin prose! The fat one is a lovable
little soul, but terribly stupid and lazy; a great trial to my patience.
I suppose Mellicent has told you all about my work, and how happy I am?
The parents are such charming, cultivated people. The mother is a
sister of Professor Reid, the gentleman who is with us now." She rolled
her eyes meaningly towards the cadaverous-looking man who had fled to
the end of the room at Peggy'