Blanche had followed his example. Her ladyship had observed, upon this,
with some asperity, that if they were all to treat each other in
that unceremonious manner, the sooner Windygates was turned into a
Penitentiary, on the silent system, the fitter the house would be for
the people who inhabited it. Under these circumstances, Arnold suggested
that Blanche would do well to make her excuses as soon as possible at
head-quarters, and accept the seat in the carriage which her step-mother
wished her to take. "We are in for the feudal antiquities, Blanche; and
we must help each other through as well as we can. If you will go in the
carriage, I'll go too."

Blanche shook her head.

"There are serious reasons for _my_ keeping up appearances," she said.
"I shall go in the carriage. You mustn't go at all."

Arnold naturally looked a little surprised, and asked to be favored with
an explanation.

Blanche took his arm and hugged it close. Now that Anne was lost, Arnold
was more precious to her than ever. She literally hungered to hear at
that moment, from his own lips, how fond he was of her. It mattered
nothing that she was already perfectly satisfied on this point. It was
so nice (after he had said it five hundred times already) to make him
say it once more!

"Suppose I had no explanation to give?" she said. "Would you stay behind
by yourself to please me?"

"I would do any thing to please you!"

"Do you really love me as much as that?"

They were still in the yard; and the only witnesses present were
the dogs. Arnold answered in the language without words--which is
nevertheless the most expressive language in use, between men and women,
all over the world.

"This is not doing my duty," said Blanche, penitently. "But, oh Arnold,
I am so anxious and so miserable! And it _is_ such a consolation to know
that _you_ won't turn your back on me too!"

With that preface she told him what had happened in the library. Even
Blanche's estimate of her lover's capacity for sympathizing with her was
more than realized by the effect which her narrative produced on Arnold.
He was not merely surprised and sorry for her. His face showed plainly
that he felt genuine concern and distress. He had never stood higher in
Blanche's opinion than he stood at that moment.

"What is to be done?" he asked. "How does Sir Patrick propose to find
her?"

Blanche repeated Sir Patrick's instructions relating to the crossroads,
and also to the seri