how you
could have grown there. But you were not born there, and your father
had good blood. Desborough!--here was a Colonel Desborough--never mind!
Come!"

She dreads to. She begs not to. She is drawn away.

The woods are silent, and then--

"What think you of that for a pretty pastoral?" says a very different
voice.

Adrian reclined against a pine overlooking the fern-covert. Lady
Blandish was recumbent upon the brown pine-droppings, gazing through
a vista of the lower greenwood which opened out upon the moon-lighted
valley, her hands clasped round one knee, her features almost stern in
their set hard expression.

They had heard, by involuntarily overhearing about as much as may be
heard in such positions, a luminous word or two.

The lady did not answer. A movement among the ferns attracted Adrian,
and he stepped down the decline across the pine-roots to behold heavy
Benson below; shaking fern-seed and spidery substances off his crumpled
skin.

"Is that you, Mr. Hadrian?" called Benson, starting, as he puffed, and
exercised his handkerchief.

"Is it you, Benson, who have had the audacity to spy upon these
Mysteries?" Adrian called back, and coming close to him, added, "You
look as if you had just been well thrashed."

"Isn't it dreadful, sir?" snuffled Benson. "And his father in ignorance,
Mr. Hadrian!"

"He shall know, Benson! He shall know how, you have endangered your
valuable skin in his service. If Mr. Richard had found you there just
now I wouldn't answer for the consequences."

"Ha!" Benson spitefully retorted. "This won't go on; Mr. Hadrian.
It shan't, sir. It will be put a stop to tomorrow, sir. I call it
corruption of a young gentleman like him, and harlotry, sir, I call it.
I'd have every jade flogged that made a young innocent gentleman go on
like that, sir."

"Then, why didn't you stop it yourself, Benson? Ah, I see! you
waited--what? This is not the first time you have been attendant on
Apollo and Miss Dryope? You have written to headquarters?"

"I did my duty, Mr. Hadrian."

The wise youth returned to Lady Blandish, and informed her of Benson's
zeal. The lady's eyes flashed. "I hope Richard will treat him as he
deserves," she said.

"Shall we home?" Adrian inquired.

"Do me a favour;" the lady replied. "Get my carriage sent round to meet
me at the park-gates."

"Won't you?"--

"I want to be alone."

Adrian bowed and left her. She was still sitting with her hands clasped
ro