so much as that silly old
woman who has set it all going."

"Then it is all true?" cried Trevor, angrily. "Humphrey," he said,
"you're as great a fool as that mother of yours; and--there, I'll speak
out, though you don't deserve it: as to little Polly, you great dolt, I
never said a tender word to her in my life."

"Why, I saw you with her hand in yours, not ten minutes ago," cried
Humphrey, indignantly.

"I've been calling you fool and dolt, Humphrey," said Trevor, cooling
down, "when I've been both to let my passion get the better of me, as it
has. There's a wretched mistake over this altogether; and more mischief
done," he continued, bitterly, "than you can imagine. You think, then,
that Mrs Lloyd has that idea in her head?"

"Think, sir!" cried the keeper, hotly, "I know it. Hasn't she forbidden
me to speak to the poor girl? Hasn't she half-broken her heart?"

"Humphrey," said Trevor, "you had good reason for feeling angry, but not
with me."

Humphrey looked at him searchingly.

"You doubt me?" said Trevor.

"Will you say it again, sir?" cried the young man, pitifully--"will you
swear it?"

"I give you my word of honour as a gentleman, Humphrey, that I have
never given the girl a thought; and that this afternoon, when I spoke to
her, it was to ask her if she came there to meet you; and she owned her
aunt had sent her."

"Master Dick--Master Dick!" cried the young man in a choking voice,
"will you forgive me, sir? If I had known that, sir, I'd sooner have
cut my right hand off than have done what I did."

"It was all a mistake, Humphrey. There--that will do."

"But I said, sir, you were no master of mine--Master Dick--Mr Trevor,
sir. We were boys together here--at the old place--don't send me away!"

"There, go now; that will do. Yes, it's all right, Humphrey. I'm not
angry. Send you away? No, certainly not; only go now, and don't make a
scene," said Trevor, incoherently, his eyes the while turned in another
direction; for he had heard footsteps, and at the turn of the lane he
could see through the trees that Mr Mervyn was coming, with his two
companions.

Trevor hurried off through the wood, so as to gain the path a hundred
yards in advance, and then he sauntered along so as to meet them.

"If I can get a few words with her I can explain," he said; and then
they were close at hand.

"Ah, Mr Trevor!" cried Mervyn, gaily, for he seemed elated, and he held
out his hand.

Before Trevor