reappear. He opened the garden-gate with his
latch-key, and paused, with an involuntary sense of the beauty and
freshness of the night, as soon as he got within the sheltering walls.
The stars were shining faint and sweet in the summer blue, and all
the shrubs and the grass breathing forth that subdued breath of
fragrance and conscious invisible life which gives so much sweetness
to the night. He thought he heard whispering voices, as he paused
glancing up at the sky; and then from the side-walk he saw a little
figure run, and heard a light little footstep fluttering towards the
door which he had just closed. Mr Wentworth started and went after
this little flying figure with some anxiety. Two or three of his long
strides brought him up with the escaping visitor, as she fumbled in
her agitation over the handle of the door. "You have come again,
notwithstanding what I said to you? but you must not repeat it, Rosa,"
said the Curate; "no good can come of these meetings. I will tell your
uncle, if I ever find you here again."

"Oh no, no, please don't," cried the girl; "but, after all, I don't
mind," she said, with more confidence: "he would think it was
something very different;" and Rosa raised her eyes to the Curate's
face with a coquettish inquiry. She could not divest herself of the
thought that Mr Wentworth was jealous, and did not like to have her
come there for anybody but himself.

"If you were not such a child, I should be very angry," said the
Curate; "as it is, I _am_ very angry with the person who deludes you
into coming. Go home, child," he said, opening the door to her, "and
remember I will not allow you on any pretext to come here again."

His words were low, and perhaps Rosa did not care much to listen; but
there was quite light enough to show them both very plainly, as he
stood at the door and she went out. Just then the Miss Hemmings were
going up Grange Lane from a little tea-party with their favourite
maid, and all their eyes about them. They looked very full in Mr
Wentworth's face, and said How d'ye do? as they passed the door; and
when they had passed it, they looked at each other with eyes which
spoke volumes. Mr Wentworth shut the door violently with irrepressible
vexation and annoyance when he encountered that glance. He made no
farewells, nor did he think of taking care of Rosa on the way home as
he had done before. He was intensely annoyed and vexed, he could not
tell how. And this was how it h