ing you
wouldn't keep it from me?'

'You'll hear just as soon as I do,' was the reply.

Lydia turned away, feeling that the girl's coldness was a cruelty,
wondering at it. She herself could not have behaved so to one in dire
need.

She was going away, but Totty stopped her.

'You can't go back like that, in the rain. Take my umbrella.'

'What do I care for the rain!' Lydia cried. 'I must find Thyrza. I
thought you pretended to be her friend.'

She hastened into the street. Not many yards from the door she met the
man she desired to see. Ackroyd was coming to ask for Totty, for the
first time since Tuesday night. Lydia drew him to the opposite side of
the way, and hurriedly told him, showing him the scrap of paper.

'I've been to Totty,' she added. 'She didn't seem to wish to help me;
she spoke as if she didn't care, and said I'd better ask you. Do you
know anything more?'

He was mute at first. His mind naturally turned to one thought. Then he
said, speaking slowly:

'I know nothing more, except that lots of people have heard Bower's
story. Does Grail know?'

'Not unless he has heard since this morning.'

'I haven't seen much of him to-day, but I noticed he looked very queer.'

'That's because Thyrza asked him to put off the wedding for a week. I
never thought she'd leave me. We talked about everything that night
after I left you. I pretended I'd found it out myself; I durstn't let
her know that other people had noticed anything. She had a dreadful
night, but she seemed better since.'

'And did she tell you--everything?'

'Everything! She said he'd never spoken a word to her that he
shouldn't. I'm sure it was the truth; Thyrza wouldn't have deceived me
like that. He's gone away, somewhere out of London.'

Luke stopped her. He looked closely at her through the dusk, and said
in a low voice:

'He's gone away? Did _she_ tell you he was going away?'

'Yes. He said good-bye to her, and hoped she would be happy.'

'But, Lydia--if he's gone away--and now _she's_ gone--'

Lydia understood him.

'Oh! Don't think that!' she said, her eyes full of fear. 'No, no! I'm
sure that isn't true! He'd never said a word to her. He hadn't given
her to think he cared for her. She cried because he didn't.'

'But if she's so mad with love of him,' Luke said, dropping his eyes,
'who knows what she might do? You'd never have thought she could leave
you like this.'

The rain was falling more heavily. As Lydia stood, un