ly ignoring
the words which had just been addressed to him.

Geoffrey glanced at Anne, and suddenly recovered himself.

"My love to my mother," he said. "I'll go to her to-morrow--and take
my wife with me, with the greatest pleasure. Do you hear that? With the
greatest pleasure." He stopped to observe the effect of his reply. Sir
Patrick waited impenetrably to hear more--if he had more to say. "I'm
sorry I lost my temper just now," he resumed "I am badly treated--I'm
distrusted without a cause. I ask you to bear witness," he added, his
voice getting louder again, while his eyes moved uneasily backward and
forward between Sir Patrick and Anne, "that I treat my wife as becomes a
lady. Her friend calls on her--and she's free to receive her friend. My
mother wants to see her--and I promise to take her to my mother's. At
two o'clock to-morrow. Where am I to blame? You stand there looking at
me, and saying nothing. Where am I to blame?"

"If a man's own conscience justifies him, Mr. Delamayn," said Sir
Patrick, "the opinions of others are of very little importance. My
errand here is performed."

As he turned to bid Anne farewell, the uneasiness that he felt at
leaving her forced its way to view. The color faded out of his face. His
hand trembled as it closed tenderly and firmly on hers. "I shall see you
to-morrow, at Holchester House," he said; giving his arm while he spoke
to Blanche. He took leave of Geoffrey, without looking at him again, and
without seeing his offered hand. In another minute they were gone.

Anne waited on the lower floor of the cottage while Geoffrey closed
and locked the gate. She had no wish to appear to avoid him, after the
answer that he had sent to his mother's message. He returned slowly
half-way across the front garden, looked toward the passage in which she
was standing, passed before the door, and disappeared round the corner
of the cottage on his way to the back garden. The inference was not to
be mistaken. It was Geoffrey who was avoiding _her._ Had he lied to Sir
Patrick? When the next day came would he find reasons of his own for
refusing to take her to Holchester House?

She went up stairs. At the same moment Hester Dethridge opened her
bedroom door to come out. Observing Anne, she closed it again and
remained invisible in her room. Once more the inference was not to be
mistaken. Hester Dethridge, also, had her reasons for avoiding Anne.

What did it mean? What object could there be