, when Lady Staveley spoke to
him.

"Don't move, Mr. Graham. Invalids, you know, are chartered."

"I am very glad to see you once more down stairs," said Madeline, as
she frankly gave him her hand,--not merely touching his--"very, very
glad. But I do hope you will get stronger before you venture to leave
Noningsby. You have frightened us all very much by your terrible
accident."

All this was said in her peculiarly sweet silver voice, not speaking
as though she were dismayed and beside herself, or in a hurry to get
through a lesson which she had taught herself. She had her secret to
hide, and had schooled herself how to hide it. But in so schooling
herself she had been compelled to acknowledge to herself that the
secret did exist. She had told herself that she must meet him, and
that in meeting him she must hide it. This she had done with absolute
success. Such is the peculiar power of women; and her mother, who had
listened not only to every word, but to every tone of her voice, gave
her exceeding credit.

"There's more in her than I thought there was," said Sophia Furnival
to herself, who had also listened and watched.

"It has not gone very deep, with her," said the judge, who on this
matter was not so good a judge as Miss Furnival.

"She cares about me just as Mrs. Baker does," said Graham to himself,
who was the worst judge of them all. He muttered something quite
unintelligible in answer to the kindness of her words; and then
Madeline, having gone through her task, retired to the further side
of the round table, and went to work among the teacups.

And then the conversation became general, turning altogether on the
affairs of Lady Mason. It was declared as a fact by Lady Staveley
that there was to be a marriage between Sir Peregrine Orme and his
guest, and all in the room expressed their sorrow. The women were
especially indignant. "I have no patience with her," said Mrs.
Arbuthnot. "She must know that such a marriage at his time of life
must be ridiculous, and injurious to the whole family."

The women were very indignant,--all except Miss Furnival, who did not
say much, but endeavoured to palliate the crimes of Lady Mason in
that which she did say. "I do not know that she is more to blame
than any other lady who marries a gentleman thirty years older than
herself."

"I do then," said Lady Staveley, who delighted in contradicting
Miss Furnival. "And so would you too, my dear, if you had known Sir
Per