the door, and the entrance of a maid who, with a due sense of mystery,
announced that a lady wished to see Miss Hilbery, but refused to allow
her name to be given.

When Katharine rose, with a profound sigh, to resume her duties, Ralph
went with her, and neither of them formulated any guess, on their way
downstairs, as to who this anonymous lady might prove to be. Perhaps the
fantastic notion that she was a little black hunchback provided with a
steel knife, which she would plunge into Katharine's heart, appeared
to Ralph more probable than another, and he pushed first into the
dining-room to avert the blow. Then he exclaimed "Cassandra!" with such
heartiness at the sight of Cassandra Otway standing by the dining-room
table that she put her finger to her lips and begged him to be quiet.

"Nobody must know I'm here," she explained in a sepulchral whisper. "I
missed my train. I have been wandering about London all day. I can bear
it no longer. Katharine, what am I to do?"

Katharine pushed forward a chair; Ralph hastily found wine and poured it
out for her. If not actually fainting, she was very near it.

"William's upstairs," said Ralph, as soon as she appeared to be
recovered. "I'll go and ask him to come down to you." His own happiness
had given him a confidence that every one else was bound to be happy
too. But Cassandra had her uncle's commands and anger too vividly in her
mind to dare any such defiance. She became agitated and said that she
must leave the house at once. She was not in a condition to go, had they
known where to send her. Katharine's common sense, which had been in
abeyance for the past week or two, still failed her, and she could
only ask, "But where's your luggage?" in the vague belief that to take
lodgings depended entirely upon a sufficiency of luggage. Cassandra's
reply, "I've lost my luggage," in no way helped her to a conclusion.

"You've lost your luggage," she repeated. Her eyes rested upon Ralph,
with an expression which seemed better fitted to accompany a profound
thanksgiving for his existence or some vow of eternal devotion than a
question about luggage. Cassandra perceived the look, and saw that it
was returned; her eyes filled with tears. She faltered in what she was
saying. She began bravely again to discuss the question of lodging when
Katharine, who seemed to have communicated silently with Ralph, and
obtained his permission, took her ruby ring from her finger and
giving it to