struggled with his thoughts, again faced her. Mrs. Wade read his
features as if her life depended on what he would resolve. Seeing him
in a misery of indecision, she repeated, at greater length and more
earnestly still, her cogent reasonings. Quarrier argued in reply, and
they were still thus engaged when it was announced that the carriage
waited.

"Let us go!" He threw his overcoat on to his shoulders.

Mrs. Wade caught his hand.

"Are you bent on doing the hopeless thing?"

"Let us talk in the carriage. I can't wait any longer."

But in the carriage both kept silence. Mrs. Wade, exhausted by stress
of emotion, by the efforts of her scheming brain, lay back as if she
had abandoned the contest; Denzil, his face working ceaselessly, stared
through the windows. When they were nearing their destination, the
widow leaned towards him.

"I have done my best for you. I have nothing so much at heart as your
welfare--and Lilian's."

He pressed her hand, too much disturbed to think of the singular way in
which she spoke. Then the vehicle stopped. Denzil assisted his
companion to alight, and, whilst she was opening the house-door, bade
the coachman go up and down till he was summoned. Then he sprang after
Mrs. Wade, learnt from her where Lilian was, and at once tried to enter
the sitting-room. The door was locked.

"Lily!" he called, in a low voice. "Open, dear! It is I!"

The key turned rapidly. He rushed in, and clasped Lilian in his arms.
She could not utter a word, but clung to him sobbing and wailing.

"Don't!--don't, dear girlie! Try to be quiet--try to command yourself."

"Can you do anything?" she uttered at length. "Is there any hope?"

"What do you wish, Lily, dearest? What shall I do?"

The common sense of manliness urged him to put no such questions, to
carry her away without a word, save of tender devotion, to escape with
her into quietness, and let all else go as it would. But Mrs. Wade's
warning had impressed him deeply. It went with his secret inclination;
for, at this stage of the combat, to lose all his aims would be a
bitter disappointment. Rethought of the lifelong ostracism, and feared
it in a vague way.

"Mrs. Wade thinks he can be persuaded to leave us alone," Lilian
replied, hurriedly, using simple words which made her seem childlike,
though at the same moment she was nerving herself to heroic effort.
"See him, and do what you can, Denzil. I did my utmost, dear. Oh, this
cruel chance that