She could not answer; she held her face turned from him and cast down;
and then, seeing her father and Ingram in the distance, she set out to
follow them to the lighthouse, Lavender walking by her side, and
wondering how he could deal with the distress that was only too clearly
written on her face.

"I know it is I who have grieved you," he said in a low voice, "and I
am very sorry. But if you will tell me what I can do to remove this
unhappiness, I will do it now. Shall I consider our talking together of
last night as if it had not taken place at all?"

"Yes," she said in as low a voice, but clear and sad and determined in
its tone.

"And I shall speak no more to you about this affair until I go away
altogether?"

And again she signified her assent, gravely and firmly.

"And then," he said, "you will soon forget all about it; for of course I
shall never come back to Lewis again."

"Never?"

The word had escaped her unwillingly, and it was accompanied by a quick
upturning of the face and a frightened look in the beautiful eyes.

"Do you wish me to come back?" he said.

"I should not wish you to go away from the Lewis through any fault of
mine, and say that we should never see you again," said the girl in
measured tones, as if she were nerving herself to make the admission,
and yet fearful of saying too much.

By this time Mackenzie and Ingram had gone round the big wall of the
lighthouse: there were no human beings on this lonely bit of heath but
themselves. Lavender stopped her and took her hand, and said, "Don't you
see, Sheila, how I must never come back to Lewis if all this is to be
forgotten? And all I want you to say is, that I may come some day to see
if you can make up your mind to be my wife. I don't ask that yet: it is
out of the question, seeing how short a time you have known anything
about me, and I cannot wish you to trust me as I can trust you. It is a
very little thing I ask--only to give me a chance at some future time,
and then, if you don't care for me sufficiently to marry me, or if
anything stands in the way, all you need do is to send me a single word,
and that will suffice. This is no terrible thing that I beg from you,
Sheila. You needn't be afraid of it."

But she was afraid: there was nothing but fear and doubt and grief in
her eyes as she gazed into the unknown world laid open before her.

"Can't you ask some one to tell you that it is nothing dreadful--Mr.
Ingram, for examp