nt; and these things, which would have been so manifest to
others, were never noticed by them. It seemed to both of them as
though Zillah merely shared the pleasure which they felt in the
society of this Windham, whom Obed loved and admired, and they
thought that Zillah's feelings were merely of the same character as
their own.

Neither Lord Chetwynde nor Zillah cared to disclose the true state of
the case. Lord Chetwynde wished to see her every day, but did not
wish them to know that he came every day. That might seem strange to
them. In point of fact, they would have thought nothing of it, but
would have welcomed him as warmly as ever; but Lord Chetwynde could
not feel sure of this. And if he visited her every day, he did not
wish to let the world know it. How it happened can not be told; by
what mysterious process it occurred can scarcely be related; such a
process is too indefinable for description; but certain it is that a
mysterious understanding sprang up between him and Zillah, so that on
every alternate day when he rode toward the villa he would leave his
horse at a house about a quarter of a mile away, and walk to the
nearest part of the park, where there was a small gate among the
trees. Here he usually entered, and soon reached a small kiosk near
that pond among the woods which has already been spoken of. The
household was so small and so quiet, and the woods were so
unfrequented and so shadowy, that there was scarcely any possibility
of interruption. Even if they had been discovered there by Obed
himself, Lord Chetwynde's presence of mind could have readily
furnished a satisfactory story to account for it. He had already
arranged that in his mind. He would have "happened to meet" Zillah on
the road near the gate, and come in here with her. By this it will be
seen, on the strength of this mysterious understanding, that Zillah
was not averse to this clandestine meeting. In fact, she always was
there. Many times they met there in the weeks which Lord Chetwynde
passed in Florence, and never once did she fail to be there first to
await him.

Perhaps it was because each had a secret belief that this was all
temporary--a happiness, a bliss, in fact, in this part of their
mortal lives, but a bliss too great to last. Perhaps it was this that
gave Zillah the courage and spirit to be at the trysting-place to
receive this man who adored her, and never to fail to be there
first--to think that not to be there first wo