ry odd study for
Edna. But as to the olive-green, of course it was bound under the same
star as ours.'

'Cilly, Cilly, now or never! photograph or not?' screamed Rashe, from
behind her three-legged camera.

'Not!' was Lucilla's cavalier answer. 'Pack up; have done with it,
Rashe. Pick me up at the school.'

Away she flew headlong, the patient and disconcerted Horatia following
her to her room to extract hurried explanations, and worse than no
answers as to the sundries to be packed at the last moment, while she
hastily put on hat and mantle, and was flying down again, when her
brother, with outspread arms, nearly caught her in her spring. 'Hollo!
what's up?'

'Don't stop me, Owen! I'm going to walk on with Mr. Prendergast and be
picked up. I must speak to Edna Murrell.'

'Nonsense! The carriage will be out in five minutes.'

'I must go, Owen. There's some story of a demon in human shape on the
water with her last night, and Mr. Prendergast can't get a word out of
her.'

'Is that any reason you should go ramping about, prying into people's
affairs?'

'But, Owen, they will send her away. They will take away her character.'

'The--the--the more reason you should have nothing to do with it,' he
exclaimed. 'It is no business for you, and I won't have you meddle in
it.'

Such a strong and sudden assumption of fraternal authority took away her
breath; and then, in terror lest he should know cause for this detention,
she said--

'Owen! you don't guess who it was?'

'How should I?' he roughly answered. 'Some villainous slander, of
course, there is, but it is no business of yours to be straking off to
make it worse.'

'I should not make it worse.'

'Women always make things worse. Are you satisfied now?' as the carriage
was seen coming round.

'That is only to be packed.'

'Packed with folly, yes! Look here! 11.20, and the train at 12.5!'

'I will miss the train, go up later, and sleep in London.'

'Stuff and nonsense! Who is going to take you? Not I.'

In Lucilla's desperation in the cause of her favourite Edna, she went
through a rapid self-debate. Honor would gladly wait for her for such a
cause; she could sleep at Woolstone-lane, and thence go on to join
Horatia in Derbyshire, escorted by a Hiltonbury servant. But what would
that entail? She would be at their mercy. Robert would obtain his
advantage--it would be all over with her! Pride arose; Edna's cause
sank. How many destin