und.

* * * * *

"_And the evening and the morning were the sixth day._"

* * * * *

AN INTERLUDE

"AS A DREAM, WHEN ONE AWAKETH"

When Miss Charteris opened her eyes, the sun was streaming into her
room. The sense of having slept heavily and unnaturally lay upon her.
She had not heard Martha's entry; but her blinds were up, and the tea
on the tray beside her bed was still fresh and hot.

She took a cup, and the after-effects of the bromide seemed to leave
her.

She dressed, and went downstairs.

On the breakfast-table, beside her plate, lay the Professor's letter.
When she had poured out her coffee and buttered her toast, she opened
and read it.

The letter was exactly such as she had always dreamed the Professor
would write, if he ever came to the point of making her a proposal. He
touched on their long friendship; on how much it had meant to them
both. He said he had often hoped for the possibility of a closer tie,
but had not felt justified in suggesting it, until he was in a position
to offer her a suitable home and income. This was now fortunately the
case; therefore he hastened to write and plead his cause, though keenly
conscious of how little there was in himself calculated to call forth
in a woman the affection which it was his earnest hope and desire to
win. She had trusted him as a friend, an intellectual guide and
comrade, during many years. If she could now bring herself to trust
him in a yet more intimate relation, he would endeavour never to
disappoint or fail her.

The letter was signed:

"_Yours in sincere devotion,_
"_KENRICK HARVEY._"

A postscript requested to be allowed to call, at the usual hour, that
afternoon, for a reply.

Miss Charteris wrote a brief note of thanks and appreciation, and gave
the Professor leave to call at three.

The Professor called at three.

He knocked and rang, and fumbled long over the umbrella-stand in the
hall. He seemed to be taking all the umbrellas out, and putting them
back again.

At last he appeared at the door of the drawing-room, where Miss
Charteris awaited him. He was very nervous. He repeated the substance
of his letter, only rather less well expressed. He alluded to Miss
Ann, and to the extreme happiness and pleasure to her of having
Christobel as a sister. But he completely ignored, both in the letter
and in conversation, Miss Ann's betrayal of Christobel's con