her mistress. Meanwhile
Teen, instead of going into the lodge, passed through the gates, and
walked away up the road. She was utterly alone, the only sign of life
being a flock of sheep in the distance, trotting on sedately before a
tall shepherd and a collie dog. Teen never saw them. She was fearfully
excited, believing that she had at last discovered the clue to her
missing friend.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXV.

THE FIRST WOOER.

Gladys was writing a long letter to her guardian, setting forth in
eloquent terms what she wished to do for the working girls of the East
End, and asking him for some sympathy and advice, when the housemaid
knocked at the door.

'A gentleman for me, Ellen? Yes, I shall be there presently,' she said,
without looking at the card on the salver. 'Is Miss Peck in the
drawing-room?'

'No, ma'am; she is taking her rest. Shall I tell her?'

'Oh no. Who is it?'

She added another word to her letter, and then read the name on the
card. The maid standing by could not help seeing the lovely access of
colour in the fair cheek of her mistress, and, as was natural, drew her
own conclusions.

Gladys rose at once, and proceeded up-stairs. She did not, as almost
every other woman in the circumstances would have done, go to her own
room to inspect her appearance or make any change in her toilet. And, in
truth, none was needed. Her plain black serge gown, with its little
ruffle at the neck, which would have made a dowdy of almost anybody but
herself, was at once a fitting and becoming robe. Her lovely hair, which
in the early days had hung in straight heavy plaits over her back, was
now wound about her head, and kept in place by a band and knot of black
velvet. She moved with the calm mien and serious grace of a woman at
ease with herself and all the world. A faint hesitation, however,
visited her when she stood without the closed door of the drawing-room.
That curious prevision, which most of us experience at times, that
something unusual was in store, robbed her for a moment of her usual
self-possession; but, smiling and inwardly chiding herself for her own
folly, she opened the door and entered the presence of her lover. She
knew him to be such, it was impossible to mistake his demeanour and his
attitude towards her. There was the most lover-like eagerness in his
look and step as he came towards her, and under his gaze the girl's
sweet eyes drooped and her colour deepened.

'This is qu