r
come to the point of asking her that question in his own person. No, nor
would not, he said to himself--certainly would not--not even to save her
from the clutches of this gambler and adventurer. No; they might think
what they liked, but this was the case. He never should have done
it--never would have exposed himself to refusal--never besought this
high-tempered girl to have the control of his life. Poor Nelly all the
same! poor little thing! To think she had so little judgment as to
ignore what might have been a great deal better, and to pin her faith to
the dis-Honourable Phil.

CHAPTER IV.

In the morning John accompanied Elinor to church. Mrs. Dennistoun had
found an excuse for not going, which I am sorry to say was a way she
had. She expressed (and felt) much sorrow for it herself, saying, which
was quite true, that not to go was a great distress to her, and put the
household out, and was a custom she did not approve of. But somehow
it had grown upon her. She regretted this, but did it, saying that
everybody was illogical, and that when Elinor had some one to go with
she thought herself justified at her age in this little indulgence.
Neither Elinor nor John objected to the arrangement. There are things
that can be said in a walk while both parties are in motion, and when it
is not necessary to face each other and to be subjected each to the
other's examination of feature and expression. It is easier in this way
to say many things, to ask questions which might be embarrassing, to
receive the fire of an examination which it might be otherwise difficult
to meet. Thus the two had not walked above half the way to church,
which was on the other edge of the combe, and stood, a lovely old
place--but not the trim and restored and well-decorated edifice it is
nowadays--tinkling its little bells into the sweet moorland air, amid
such a hum of innumerable bees as seemed to make the very sunshine a
vehicle for sound--before John began to perceive that he was being
ingeniously driven to revelations which he had never intended, by a
process for which he was not at all prepared. She who had been so
indignant last night and determined not to allow a word to be said
against the immaculate honour of the man she loved, was now--was it
possible?--straining all her faculties to obtain from him, whom she
would not permit to be Phil Compton's judge, such unguarded admissions
as would enlighten her as to what Phil Compton was