the nest,
Silver sails all out of the west
Under the silver moon:
Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.

TENNYSON.

It was on a hot thundery July afternoon that Sir Hugh entered Redmond
Hall, weary and heated and dusty, and thoroughly ashamed of himself.

There are some men who hate to be reminded of their own
shortcomings--who are too proud and impatient to endure
self-humiliation, and who would rather go through fire and water than
own themselves in the wrong. Sir Hugh was one of these. Despite his
moral weakness, he was a Redmond all over, and had a spice of the
arrogance that had belonged to them in the old feudal days, when they
had ruled their vassals most tyrannically. And especially did he hate
to be reminded by word or deed that his conduct had not been
faultless; his conscience made him uncomfortable enough, for he was
really kind-hearted in spite of his selfishness; so it did not improve
matters when Mrs. Heron met him in the hall, and, quite forgetting her
usually stately manners, suddenly burst out, while her tearful eyes
gave emphasis to her words:

"Oh, Sir Hugh, I am grateful and thankful to see you again, for we
thought my lady would have died in her trouble, for, bless her dear
heart, she fretted herself cruelly when you left her, and more's the
pity!"

The housekeeper had meant no reproach to her master, but Sir Hugh's
uneasy conscience took alarm.

"Thank you, Mrs. Heron," he said, with icy politeness, "I am deeply
indebted to you for reminding me of my shortcomings. Ellerton, be good
enough to tell Lady Redmond's nurse that I am here, and that I wish to
see my wife at once;" and he passed on in a very bad humor indeed,
leaving Mrs. Heron thoroughly crest-fallen by her master's unexpected
sarcasm.

Ellerton was an old servant, and he ventured to remonstrate before
carrying out this order.

"Will you not get rid of a little of the dust of your journey, Sir
Hugh, and have some refreshment before you go up to my lady?"

"You have my orders, Ellerton," returned his master, curtly; and he
ascended the staircase with the frown still heavy on his face.

He did not like to feel so ashamed of himself, and this was his mode
of showing it.

Fay lay on a couch in her bedroom looking very lovely, in her white
tea-gown trimmed with lace, with her brown hair hanging in long
plaits, and a little rose-leaf color tinting her