ilderment, found his aunt Dora, veiled, and wrapped up in a great
shawl.

"Oh, Frank, my dear, don't be angry! I couldn't help coming," cried
Miss Dora. "Come and sit down by me here. I slipped out and did not
even put on my bonnet, that nobody might know. Oh, Frank, I don't know
what to say. I am so afraid you have been wicked. I have just seen
that--that girl. I saw her out of my window. Frank! don't jump up like
that. I can't go on telling you if you don't stay quiet here."

"Aunt, let me understand you," cried the Curate. "You saw whom? Rosa
Elsworthy? Don't drive me desperate, as all the others do with their
stupidity. You saw her? when?--where?"

"Oh Frank, Frank! to think it should put you in such a way--such a
girl as that! Oh, my dear boy, if I had thought you cared so much, I
never would have come to tell you. It wasn't to encourage you--it
wasn't. Oh, Frank, Frank! that it should come to this!" cried Miss
Dora, shrinking back from him with fright and horror in her face.

"Come, we have no time to lose," said the Curate, who was desperate.
He picked up her shawl, which had fallen on the floor, and bundled her
up in it in the most summary way. "Come, aunt Dora," said the
impetuous young man; "you know you were always my kindest friend.
Nobody else can help me at this moment. I feel that you are going to
be my deliverer. Come, aunt Dora--we must go and find her, you and I.
There is not a moment to lose."

He had his arm round her, holding on her shawl. He raised her up from
her chair, and supported her, looking at her as he had not done before
since he was a boy at school, Miss Dora thought. She was too
frightened, too excited, to cry, as she would have liked to do; but
the proposal was so terrible and unprecedented that she leaned back
trembling on her nephew's arm, and could not move either to obey or to
resist him. "Oh, Frank, I never went after any improper person in my
life," gasped aunt Dora. "Oh, my dear, don't make me do anything that
is wrong; they will say it is my fault!" cried the poor lady,
gradually feeling herself obliged to stand on her feet and collect her
forces. The shawl fell back from her shoulders as the Curate withdrew
his arm. "You have lost my large pin," cried aunt Dora, in despair;
"and I have no bonnet. And oh! what will Leonora say? I never, never
would have come to tell you if I had thought of this. I only came to
warn you, Frank. I only intended--"

"Yes," said the Curate. T