er?'

'Would you like for me to do so?' said Robert, in the quiet
matter-of-course way of one to whom painful offices had become well-nigh
natural.

'You? O Robin, if you--' she said, in some confusion, but at the moment
the sound of the visitor's bell startled her, and she was about to take
measures for their exclusion, when looking from the window, she saw that
the curate of Wrapworth had already been admitted into the court. The
next moment she had met him in the hall, and seizing his hand, exclaimed
in a hurried whisper, 'I know! I know! But there is a terrible stroke
hanging over my poor child. Come in and help us to tell her!'

She drew him into the study, and shut the door. The poor man's
sallowness had become almost livid, and in half-sobbing words he
exclaimed--'Is it so? Then give her to me at once. I will nurse her to
the last, or save her! I knew it was only her being driven out to that
miserable governess life that has been destroying her!' and he quite
glared upon poor innocent Honor as a murderess.

'Mr. Prendergast, I do not know what you mean. Lucilla is nearly well
again. It is only that we fear to give her some bad news of her
brother.'

'Her brother! Is that all?' said the curate, in a tone of absolute
satisfaction. 'I beg your pardon, Miss Charlecote; I thought I saw a
doctor here, and you were going to sentence my darling.'

'You do see Robert Fulmort, whom I thought you knew.'

'So I do,' said Mr. Prendergast, holding out his hand. 'I beg your
pardon for having made such a fool of myself; but you see, since I came
to an understanding with that dear child, I have not thought of anything
else, nor known what I was about.'

Robert could not but look inquiringly at Miss Charlecote.

'Yes,' she faltered, 'Mr. Prendergast has told you--what I could
not--what I had not leave to say.'

'Yes,' put in Mr. Prendergast, in his overflowing felicity, 'I see you
think it a shocking match for such a little gem of beauty as that; but
you young men should have been sharper. There's no accounting for
tastes;' and he laughed awkwardly.

'I am heartily glad,' said Robert--and voice, look, and grasp of the hand
conveyed the fullest earnestness--'I am exceedingly rejoiced that the
dear little friend of all my life should be in such keeping! I
congratulate you most sincerely, Mr. Prendergast. I never saw any one so
well able to appreciate her.'

That is over, thought Honor; how well he has