might yet be comfort for her as long as
she could remain close to one who was so good to her.

"I shall come and see you very often," said Mrs. Orme,--"almost
daily."

"No, no, no," exclaimed the other, hardly knowing the meaning of her
own words.

"But I shall. My father is waiting now, dear, and you had better go."

Sir Peregrine had turned to the window, where he stood shading his
eyes with his hand. When he heard his daughter-in-law's last words he
again came forward, and offered Lady Mason his arm. "Edith is right,"
he said. "You had better go now. When you are at home you will be
more composed." And then he led her forth, and down the stairs,
and across the hall, and with infinite courtesy put her into the
carriage. It was a moment dreadful to Lady Mason; but to Sir
Peregrine, also, it was not pleasant. The servants were standing
round, officiously offering their aid,--those very servants who had
been told about ten days since that this lady was to become their
master's wife and their mistress. They had been told so with no
injunction as to secrecy, and the tidings had gone quickly through
the whole country. Now it was known that the match was broken off,
that the lady had been living up stairs secluded for the last week,
and that she was to leave the house this morning, having been
committed during the last day or two to stand her trial at the
assizes for some terrible offence! He succeeded in his task. He
handed her into the carriage, and then walked back through his own
servants to the library without betraying to them the depth of his
sorrow; but he knew that the last task had been too heavy for him.
When it was done he shut himself up and sat there for hours without
moving. He also declared to himself that the world was too hard for
him, and that it would be well for him that he should die. Never till
now had he come into close contact with crime, and now the criminal
was one whom as a woman he had learned to love, and whom he had
proposed to the world as his wife! The criminal was one who had
declared her crime in order to protect him, and whom therefore he was
still bound in honour to protect!

When Lady Mason arrived at Orley Farm her son was waiting at the door
to receive her. It should have been said that during the last two
days,--that is ever since the committal,--Mrs. Orme had urged upon
her very strongly that it would be well for her to tell everything to
her son. "What! now, at once?" the po