n before the fire, still thinking of his plan. The room
was dark, as such rooms are dark for the last hour or two before
dinner in January, and he sat himself in an arm-chair before the
fire, intending to sit there till it would be necessary that he
should go to dress. It was an unaccustomed thing with him so to place
himself at such a time, or to remain in the drawing-room at all till
he came down for a few minutes before dinner; but he did so now,
having been thrown out of his usual habits by the cares upon his
mind. He had been so seated about a quarter of an hour, and was
already nearly asleep, when he heard the rustle of a woman's garment,
and looking round, with such light as the fire gave him, perceived
that Lady Mason was in the room. She had entered very quietly, and
was making her way in the dark to a chair which she frequently
occupied, between the fire and one of the windows, and in doing so
she passed so near Peregrine as to touch him with her dress.

"Lady Mason," he said, speaking, in the first place, in order that
she might know that she was not alone, "it is almost dark; shall I
ring for candles for you?"

She started at hearing his voice, begged his pardon for disturbing
him, declined his offer of light, and declared that she was going up
again to her own room immediately. But it occurred to him that if it
would be well that he should speak to her, it would be well that he
should do so at once; and what opportunity could be more fitting than
the present? "If you are not in a hurry about anything," he said,
"would you mind staying here for a few minutes?"

"Oh no, certainly not." But he could perceive that her voice trembled
in uttering even these few words.

"I think I'd better light a candle," he said; and then he did light
one of those which stood on the corner of the mantelpiece,--a
solitary candle, which only seemed to make the gloom of the large
room visible. She, however, was standing close to it, and would have
much preferred that the room should have been left to its darkness.

"Won't you sit down for a few minutes?" and then she sat down. "I'll
just shut the door, if you don't mind." And then, having done so, he
returned to his own chair and again faced the fire. He saw that she
was pale and nervous, and he did not like to look at her as he spoke.
He began to reflect also that they might probably be interrupted by
his mother, and he wished that they could adjourn to some other room.
That