ell the truth, in his alarm lest Lady Mariamne should repeat her
invasion, Mr. Tatham was guilty of concerting with his clerk, the
excellent Simmons, various means of eluding such a danger. And he
exercised the greatest circumspection in regard to his own invitations,
and went nowhere where there was the least danger of meeting her. In
this way for a few months he had kept himself safe.

It may be imagined, then, how great was his annoyance when Simmons came
in again, very diffident, coughing behind his hand, and taking shelter
in the shaded part of the room, with the hesitating statement that a
lady--who would take no denial, who looked as if she knew the chambers
as well as he did, and could hardly be kept from walking straight in--was
waiting to see Mr. Tatham. John sprang to his feet with words which were
not benedictions. "I thought," he said, "you ass, that you knew exactly
what to say."

"But, sir," said Simmons, "it is not the same lady--it is not at all the
same lady. It is a lady who----"

But here the question was summarily settled, for the door was pushed
open though Simmons still held it with his hand, and a voice, which was
more like the voice of Elinor Dennistoun at eighteen than that of Mrs.
Compton, said quickly, "I know, John, that your door can't be shut for
me."

"Elinor!" he said, getting up from his chair.

"I know," she repeated, "that there must be some mistake--that your door
could not be shut for me."

"No, of course not," he said. "It is all right, Simmons; but who
could have thought of seeing you here? It was a contingency I never
anticipated. When did you come? where are you staying? Is Philip with
you?" He overwhelmed her with questions, perhaps by way of stopping her
mouth lest she should put questions still more difficult to answer to
himself.

"Let me take breath a little," she said. "I scarcely have taken breath
since the--thing happened which has brought me here; but I feel a little
confidence now with the strong backing I have in you, John."

"My dear Elinor," he said, "I am afraid you must not look for any strong
backing in me."

"Why?" she cried. "Have you judged it all beforehand? And do you
know--are you quite, quite sure, John, that I cannot avoid it in any
way, that I am obliged at all costs to appear? I would rather fly the
country, I would rather leave Lakeside altogether and settle abroad.
There is nothing in the world that I would not rather do."

"Elinor," said