together, "though Mrs. Thursby has not such a knack with
her table as some. Not that I did not think the chrysanthemums and white
china swans were nice, very nice; but, you see, as I told her, I had
just been to Stoke Moreton, where things were very different. And you
looked very well, my dear, though not so bright and chatty as Mabel; and
Mrs. Thursby said she only hoped your waist was natural. The idea! And I
saw Lady Carmian notice your gown particularly, and I heard her ask who
you were, and Mrs. Thursby said--so like her--you were their clergyman's
niece. And so, my dear, I was not going to have you spoken of like that,
and a little later on I just went and sat down by Lady Carmian, just
went across the room, you know, as if I wanted to be nearer the music,
and we got talking, and she was rather silent at first, but presently,
when I began to tell her all about you, and who you were, she became
quite interested, and asked such funny questions, and laughed, and we
had quite a nice talk."

And so Mrs. Alwynn chatted on, and Ruth, happily hearing nothing, leaned
back in her corner and wondered whether the evening were ever going to
end. Even when she had bidden her aunt "Good-night," and, having
previously told her maid not to sit up for her, found herself alone in
her own room at last--even then it seemed that this interminable day was
not quite over. She was standing by the dim fire, trying to gather up
sufficient energy to undress, when a quiet step came cautiously along
the passage, followed by a low tap at her door. She opened it
noiselessly, and found Mr. Alwynn standing without.

"Ruth," he said, "Dare has walked up with me. He is in the most dreadful
state. I am sure I don't know what to think. He has said nothing further
to me, but he is bent on seeing you for a moment. It's very late, but
still--could you? He's in the drawing-room now. My poor child, how ill
you look! Shall I tell him you are too tired to-night to see any one?"

"I would rather see him," said Ruth, her voice trembling a little; and
they went down-stairs together. In the hall she hesitated a moment. She
was going to learn her fate. Had her release come? Had it come at the
eleventh hour? Her uncle looked at her with kind, compassionate eyes,
and hers fell before his as she thought how different her suspense was
to what he imagined. Suddenly--and such demonstrations were very rare
with her--she put her arms round his neck and pressed her cheek