se. "Some day you will
understand all."

"Then I will wait," said Gualtier, humbly. "I have waited for years.
I can still wait. I only live for you. Forgive me."

Hilda looked away, and Gualtier sat, looking thoughtfully and sadly
at her.

"There is one thing," said he, "which you were fortunate to think of.
You guarded against a danger which I did not anticipate."

"Ah!" said Hilda, roused by the mention of danger. "What is that?"

"The discovery of so humble a person as myself. Thanks to you, my
assumed name has saved me. But at the same time it led to an
embarrassing position, from which I only escaped by my own wit."

"What do you allude to?" asked Hilda, with languid curiosity.

"Oh, it's the doctor. You know he has been attending Mrs. Hart. Well,
some time ago, before I left for London, he met me, and talked about
things in general. Whenever he meets me he likes to get up a
conversation, and I generally avoid him; but this time I couldn't.
After a time, with a great appearance of concern, he said:

[Illustration: "I Rode With Him All The Way To London, Dressed As An
Elderly Widow."]

"'I am sorry to hear, Mr. Gualtier, that you are about to be
superseded.'

"'Superseded!' said I. 'What do you mean?'

"'I hear from some gossip of the servants that there is a new
steward.'

'"A new steward! This is the first that I have heard of it,' said I.
'I am the only steward here.'

"'This one,' said he, 'is--a--Mr. M'Kenzie.'

"'M'Kenzie!' said I, instantaneously--

'M'Kenzie!' And I laughed. 'Why, I am Mr. M'Kenzie.'

"'You!' said he, in utter amazement. 'Isn't your name Gualtier?'

"'Oh no,' said I; 'that is a name which I adopted, when a
music-teacher, for professional purposes. Foreign names are always
liked better than native ones. My real name is M'Kenzie. The late
Earl knew all about it, and so does Lady Chetwynde.'

"The doctor looked a little puzzled, but at last accepted my
explanation and went off. Still I don't like the look of the thing."

"No," said Hilda, who had listened with no great interest, "it's not
pleasant. But, after all, there was no danger even if he had thought
you an impostor."

"Pardon me, my lady; but doctors are great gossips, and can send a
story like this flying through the county. He may do so yet."

At another time Hilda would have taken more interest in this
narration, but now she seemed so preoccupied that her usual vigilance
had left her. Gualtier noticed t