tronger measures.

But stronger measures were not necessary. On the fifth day, he came to
her at eleven o'clock in the morning, with a curious smile upon his
lips. He had an opera-glass in his hand.

"I have something to show you, Kitty," he said to her.

He led her to the window, and directed her attention to a distant point
in the view where a few yards of the highroad could be discerned. "You
see the road," he said. "Now look through the glass for a few minutes."

Languidly enough she did as he desired. The strong glass brought into
her sight in a few moments two gentlemen on horseback. Kitty uttered a
faint cry. It was her father and Mr. Colquhoun.

"I thought that we should see them in a minute or two," said Hugo,
calmly. "They were here a quarter-of-an-hour ago."

"Here! In this house?"

"Yes; making inquiries after you. I think I quite convinced them that I
knew nothing about you. They apologised for the trouble they had given
me, and went away."

"Oh, father, father!" cried Kitty, stretching out her arms and sobbing
wildly, as if she could make him hear: "Oh, father, come back! come
back! Am I to die here and never see you again--never again?"

Hugo said nothing more. He had no need. She wept herself into quietness,
and then remained silent for a long time, with her head buried in her
hands. He left her in this position, and did not return until the
evening. And then she spoke to him in a voice which showed that her
strength had deserted her, her will had been bent at last.

"Do as you please," she said. "I will be your wife. I see no other way.
But I hate you--I hate you--and I will never forgive you for what you
have done as long as ever I live."

CHAPTER XLV.

TOO LATE!

Rupert Vivian went to London with a fixed determination not to return to
Strathleckie. He told himself that he had been thinking far too much of
the whims and vagaries of a silly, pretty girl; and that it would be for
his good to put such memories of her bright eyes, and vain, coquettish
ways as remained to him, completely out of his mind. He did his best to
carry out this resolution, but he was not very successful.

He had some troubles of his own, and a good deal of business to
transact; but the weeks did not pass very rapidly, although his time was
so fully occupied. He began to be anxious to hear something of his
friend, Percival Heron; he searched the newspapers for tidings of the
_Arizona_, he called at Lloyd's