s.

Further, when a letter arrived at the Great House from Hilton and Pimm's,
the opticians, with information that the equatorial was ready and packed,
and that a man would be sent with it to fix it, she replied to that firm
to the effect that their letter should have been addressed to Mr. St.
Cleeve, the local astronomer, on whose behalf she had made the inquiries;
that she had nothing more to do with the matter; that he would receive
the instrument and pay the bill,--her guarantee being given for the
latter performance.

VIII

Lady Constantine then had the pleasure of beholding a waggon, laden with
packing-cases, moving across the field towards the pillar; and not many
days later Swithin, who had never come to the Great House since the
luncheon, met her in a path which he knew to be one of her promenades.

'The equatorial is fixed, and the man gone,' he said, half in doubt as to
his speech, for her commands to him not to recognize her agency or
patronage still puzzled him. 'I respectfully wish--you could come and
see it, Lady Constantine.'

'I would rather not; I cannot.'

'Saturn is lovely; Jupiter is simply sublime; I can see double stars in
the Lion and in the Virgin, where I had seen only a single one before. It
is all I required to set me going!'

'I'll come. But--you need say nothing about my visit. I cannot come to-
night, but I will some time this week. Yet only this once, to try the
instrument. Afterwards you must be content to pursue your studies
alone.'

Swithin seemed but little affected at this announcement. 'Hilton and
Pimm's man handed me the bill,' he continued.

'How much is it?'

He told her. 'And the man who has built the hut and dome, and done the
other fixing, has sent in his.' He named this amount also.

'Very well. They shall be settled with. My debts must be paid with my
money, which you shall have at once,--in cash, since a cheque would
hardly do. Come to the house for it this evening. But no, no--you must
not come openly; such is the world. Come to the window--the window that
is exactly in a line with the long snowdrop bed, in the south front--at
eight to-night, and I will give you what is necessary.'

'Certainly, Lady Constantine,' said the young man.

At eight that evening accordingly, Swithin entered like a spectre upon
the terrace to seek out the spot she had designated. The equatorial had
so entirely absorbed his thoughts that he did not trouble himse