mised in her ear with low sweet words of
consolation that they should still be friends. I cannot say that Mrs.
Orme was right. That she was weak minded I feel nearly certain. But,
perhaps, this weakness of mind may never be brought against her to
her injury, either in this world or in the next.

I will not pretend to give the words which passed between them at
that interview. After a while Lady Mason allowed herself to be guided
all in all by her friend's advice as though she herself had been a
child. It was decided that for the present,--that is for the next day
or two,--Lady Mason should keep her room at The Cleeve as an invalid.
Counterfeit in this there would be none certainly, for indeed she was
hardly fit for any place but her own bed. If inclined and able to
leave her room, she should be made welcome to the use of Mrs. Orme's
dressing-room. It would only be necessary to warn Peregrine that for
the present he must abstain from coming there. The servants, Mrs.
Orme said, had heard of their master's intended marriage. They would
now hear that this intention had been abandoned. On this they would
put their own construction, and would account in their own fashion
for the fact that Sir Peregrine and his guest no longer saw each
other. But no suspicion of the truth would get abroad when it was
seen that Lady Mason was still treated as a guest at The Cleeve. As
to such future steps as might be necessary to be taken, Mrs. Orme
would consult with Sir Peregrine, and tell Lady Mason from time to
time. And as for the sad truth, the terrible truth,--that, at any
rate for the present, should be told to no other ears. And so the
whole morning was spent, and Mrs. Orme saw neither Sir Peregrine nor
her son till she went down to the library in the first gloom of the
winter evening.

CHAPTER XLVI

A WOMAN'S IDEA OF FRIENDSHIP

Sir Peregrine after the hour that he had spent with his
daughter-in-law,--that terrible hour during which Lady Mason had sat
alone on the bed-side,--returned to the library and remained there
during the whole of the afternoon. It may be remembered that he had
agreed to ride through the woods with his grandson; but that purpose
had been abandoned early in the day, and Peregrine had in consequence
been hanging about the house. He soon perceived that something was
amiss, but he did not know what. He had looked for his mother, and
had indeed seen her for a moment at her door; but she had told him
tha