as attached to you, and you
were equally so to him; and as soon as I had the grant sent down, which
was on the evening he addressed you, I made known to him that the
property was given to me; and I added, on some dry questions being put
to me by him, relative to the possibility of there being still existing
an heir to the estate, that there was no chance of that, and that you
would be the mistress of Arnwood. I threw it out as a hint to him,
fancying that, as far as you were concerned, all would go well, and that
I would explain to him my knowledge of who he was after he had made
known his regard for you."

"Yes, I see it all now," replied Patience; "in one hour he is rejected
by me, and in the next he is told that I have obtained possession of his
property. No wonder that he is indignant, and looks upon us with scorn.
And now he has left us: we have driven him into danger, and may never
see him again. Oh, father! I am very, very miserable!"

"We must hope for the best, Patience. It is true that he has gone to
the wars, but it does not therefore follow that he is to be killed. You
are both very young--much too young to marry--and all may be explained.
I must see Humphrey, and be candid with him."

"But Alice and Edith,--where are they gone, father?"

"That I can inform you. I have a letter from Langton on the subject,
for I begged him to find out. He says that there are two young ladies
of the name of Beverley, who have been placed under the charge of his
friends the Ladies Conynghame, who is aunt to Major Chaloner, who has
been for some time concealed in the forest. But I have letters to
write, my dear Patience. To-morrow, if I live and do well, I will ride
over to the cottage to see Humphrey Beverley."

The Intendant kissed his daughter; and she left the room.

Poor Patience! She was glad to be left to herself, and think over this
strange communication. For many days she had felt how fond she had been
of Edward, much more so than she had believed herself to be. "And now,"
she thought, "if he really loves me, and hears my father's explanation,
he will come back again." By degrees, she recovered her serenity, and
employed herself in her quiet domestic duties.

Mr Heatherstone rode over to the cottage the next day, where he found
Humphrey busily employed as usual; and, what was very unusual, extremely
grave. It was not a pleasant task for Mr Heatherstone to have to
explain his conduct to so very you