had already, as we know, said words to Rachel which he should
not have said unless he intended to seek her as his wife;--he had
spoken words and done things of that nature, being by no means
perfect in all his ways. But he had so spoken and so acted without
premeditation, and now was about to follow up those little words
and little acts to their natural consequence,--also without much
premeditation.

Rachel had told her mother, on her return from the ball, that Luke
Rowan had promised to call; and had offered to take herself off from
the cottage for the whole afternoon, if her mother thought it wrong
that she should see him. Mrs. Ray had never felt herself to be in
greater difficulty.

"I don't know that you ought to run away from him," said she: "and
besides, where are you to go to?"

Rachel said at once that if her absence were desirable she would find
whither to betake herself. "I'd stay upstairs in my bedroom, for the
matter of that, mamma."

"He'd be sure to know it," said Mrs. Rowan, speaking of the young man
as though he were much to be feared;--as indeed he was much feared by
her.

"If you don't think I ought to go, perhaps it would be best that I
should stay," said Rachel, at last, speaking in a very low tone, but
still with some firmness in her voice.

"I'm sure I don't know what I'm to say to him," said Mrs. Ray.

"That must depend upon what he says to you, mamma," said Rachel.

After that there was no further talk of running away; but the morning
did not pass with them lightly or pleasantly. They made an effort
to sit quietly at their work, and to talk over the doings at Mrs.
Tappitt's ball; but this coming of the young man threw its shadow,
more or less, over everything. They could not talk, or even look at
each other, as they would have talked and looked had no such advent
been expected. They dined at one, as was their custom, and after
dinner I think it probable that each of them stood before her glass
with more care than she would have done on ordinary days. It was no
ordinary day, and Mrs. Ray certainly put on a clean cap.

"Will that collar do?" she said to Rachel.

"Oh, yes, mamma," said Rachel, almost angrily. She also had taken her
little precautions, but she could not endure to have such precautions
acknowledged, even by a word.

The afternoon was very tedious. I don't know why Luke should have
been expected exactly at three; but Mrs. Ray had, I think, made up
her mind that he might