e to see you."

"Who told you that I was here?" he asked, still standing in the
passage.

"Of course a mother would find out where was her child," said Lady
Rowley.

"You should not have come here without notice," he said. "I was
careful to let you know the conditions on which you should come."

"You do not mean that I shall not see my child," said the mother.
"Oh, Louis, you will let me see him."

Trevelyan hesitated a moment, still keeping his position firmly in
the doorway. By this time an old woman, decently dressed and of
comfortable appearance, had taken her place behind him, and behind
her was a slip of a girl about fifteen years of age. This was the
owner of River's Cottage and her daughter, and all the inhabitants
of the cottage were now there, standing in the passage. "I ought not
to let you see him," said Trevelyan; "you have intruded upon me in
coming here! I had not wished to see you here,--till you had complied
with the order I had given you." What a meeting between a husband and
a wife who had not seen each other now for many months,--between a
husband and a wife who were still young enough not to have outlived
the first impulses of their early love! He still stood there guarding
the way, and had not even put out his hand to greet her. He was
guarding the way lest she should, without his permission, obtain
access to her own child! She had not removed her veil, and now she
hardly dared to step over the threshold of her husband's house. At
this moment, she perceived that the woman behind was pointing to
the room on the left, as the cottage was entered, and Emily at once
understood that her boy was there. Then at that moment she heard her
son's voice, as, in his solitude, the child began to cry. "I must go
in," she said; "I will go in;" and rushing on she tried to push aside
her husband. Her mother aided her, nor did Trevelyan attempt to stop
her with violence, and in a moment she was kneeling at the foot of a
small sofa, with her child in her arms. "I had not intended to hinder
you," said Trevelyan, "but I require from you a promise that you will
not attempt to remove him."

"Why should she not take him home with her?" said Lady Rowley.

"Because I will not have it so," replied Trevelyan. "Because I choose
that it should be understood that I am to be the master of my own
affairs."

Mrs. Trevelyan had now thrown aside her bonnet and her veil, and was
covering her child with caresses. The poor litt