ntered into his daily life and disarranged
all his plans.

Before the arrival of Lord Chetwynde, Gual tier, in his capacity of
steward, had been accustomed to have frequent interviews with Hilda.
Now they were all over. Since that arrival he had not spoken to her
once, nor had he once got so much as a glance of her eye. At first he
accounted for it from very natural causes. He attributed it to the
anxiety which she felt at the presence of Lord Chetwynde, and at the
desperate part which she had to play. For some time this seemed
sufficient to account for every thing. But afterward he learned
enough to make him think it possible that there were other causes. He
heard the gossip of the servants' hall, and from that he learned that
it was the common opinion of the servants that Lady Chetwynde was
very fond of Lord Chetwynde, but that the latter was very distant and
reserved in his manner toward her. This started him on a new track
for conjecture, and he soon learned and saw enough to get some
general idea of the truth. Yet, after all, it was not the actual
truth which he conjectured. His conclusion was that Hilda was playing
a deep game in order to win Lord Chetwynde's affection to herself.
The possibility of her actually loving him did not then suggest
itself. He looked upon it as one of those profound pieces of policy
for which he was always on the look-out from her. The discovery of
this disturbed him. The arrival of Lord Chetwynde had troubled him;
but this new plan of Hilda's troubled him still more, and all the
more because he was now shut out from her confidence.

"The little thing is up to a new game; and she'll beat," he said to
himself; "she'll beat, for she always beats. She's got a long head,
and I can only guess what it is that she is up to. She'll never tell
me." And he thought, with some pensiveness, upon the sadness of that
one fact, that she would never tell him. Meanwhile he contented
himself with watching until something more definite could be known.

Lord Chetwynde had much to occupy him in his father's papers. He
spent the greater part of his time in the library, and though weeks
passed he did not seem to be near the end of them. At other times he
rode about the grounds or sauntered through the groves. The seclusion
in which the Castle had always been kept was not disturbed. The
county families were too remote for ordinary calling, or else they
did not know of his arrival. Certain it is that no one e