of her aunt's anxious mind. The man, now that he had been
caught, was not to be allowed to escape. But how great would be the
boon if he would escape. How should she escape? And yet she knew that
she meant to go on and bear it all. Perhaps by study and due practice
she might become,--as were some others,--a beast of prey, and nothing
more. The feeling that had made these few minutes so inexpressibly
loathsome to her might, perhaps, be driven from her heart. She washed
the tears from her eyes with savage energy and descended to her lover
with a veil fastened closely under her hat. "I hope I haven't kept
you waiting," she said.

"Women always do," he replied laughing. "It gives them importance."

"It is not so with me, I can assure you. I will tell you the truth. I
was agitated,--and I cried."

"Oh, ay; I dare say." He rather liked the idea of having reduced
the haughty Lucinda to tears. "But you needn't have been ashamed of
my seeing it. As it is, I can see nothing. You must take that off
presently."

"Not now, Griffin." Oh, what a name it was! It seemed to blister her
tongue as she used it without the usual prefix.

"I never saw you tied up in that way before. You don't do it out
hunting. I've seen you when the snow has been driving in your face,
and you didn't mind it,--not so much as I did."

"You can't be surprised that I should be agitated now."

"But you're happy;--ain't you?"

"Yes," she said. The lie once told must of course be continued.

"Upon my word, I don't quite understand you," said Sir Griffin. "Look
here, Lucinda; if you want to back out of it, you can, you know."

"If you ask me again, I will." This was said with the old savage
voice, and it at once reduced Sir Griffin to thraldom. To be rejected
now would be the death of him. And should there come a quarrel he was
sure that it would seem to be that he had been rejected.

"I suppose it's all right," he said; "only when a man is only
thinking how he can make you happy, he doesn't like to find nothing
but crying." After this there was but little more said between them
before they returned to the castle.

CHAPTER XLIII

Life at Portray

On the Monday Frank took his departure. Everybody at the castle had
liked him except Sir Griffin, who, when he had gone, remarked to
Lucinda that he was an insufferable legal prig, and one of those
chaps who think themselves somebody because they are in Parliament.
Lucinda had liked Frank, and sai