te,' said Amy; 'I found Eva making mistakes on purpose.'

'How much longer does she stay?'

'Till Tuesday. Lord Kilcoran is coming to fetch her.'

Charlotte entered, and immediately ran up-stairs to announce her
cousin's arrival. Laura was glad of this previous notice, and hoped her
blush and tremor were not observed. It was a struggle, through luncheon
time, to keep her colour and confusion within bounds; but she succeeded
better than she fancied she did, and Philip gave her as much help as he
could, by not looking at her. Seeing that he dreaded nothing so much as
her exciting suspicion, she was at once braced and alarmed.

Her father was very glad to see him, and reproached him for making
himself a stranger, while her sisters counted up the days of his
absence.

'There was the time, to be sure, when we met you on Ashen-down, but that
was a regular cheat. Laura had you all to herself.'

Laura bent down to feed Bustle, and Philip felt _his_ colour deepening.

Mr. Edmonstone went on to ask him to come and stay at Hollywell for a
week, vowing he would take no refusal. 'A week was out of the question,
said Philip; 'but he could come for two nights.' Amabel hinted that
there was to be a dinner-party on Thursday, thinking it fair to give
him warning of what he disliked, but he immediately chose that very day.
Again he disconcerted all expectations, when it was time to go out. Mrs.
Edmonstone and Charles were going to drive, the young ladies and Guy to
walk, but Philip disposed himself to accompany his uncle in a survey of
the wheat.

Laura perceived that he would not risk taking another walk with her when
they might be observed. It showed implicit trust to leave her to his
rival; but she was sorry to find that caution must put an end to the
freedom of their intercourse, and would have stayed at home, but that
Eveleen was so wild and unguarded that Mrs. Edmonstone did not like her
to be without Laura as a check on her, especially when Guy was of the
party. There was some comfort in that warm pressure of her hand when she
bade Philip good-bye, and on that she lived for a long time. He stood at
the window watching them till they were out of sight, then moved
towards his aunt, who with her bonnet on, was writing an invitation for
Thursday, to Mr. Thorndale.

'I was thinking,' said he, in a low voice, 'if it would not be as well,
if you liked, to ask Thorndale here for those two days.'

'If _you_ think so,' returned Mr