he saw one or two people at long intervals
passing along, for the road led by the farther side of the pond and was
a favourite Sunday walk. Dick thought he would like to see what changes
Warrender had made and also the spot where he had seen Chatty if not for
the first time, yet the first time with the vision which identified her
among all women. He went along, lingering to note the trees that had
been cut down and the improvements made, and his mind had so completely
abandoned its former course of thought for another, that when Lizzie
Hampson came out of the little wood, and met him, he started as if he
had not known she was here. There was nobody else in sight, and he had
time enough as she approached him to recover the former thread of his
musings. She did not recognise him until they were close to each other:
then she showed the same reluctance to speak to him which she had done
before, and after a hasty glance round as if looking for a way of escape,
cast down her eyes and head evidently with the intention of hurrying
past as if she had not seen him. He saw through the momentary conflict
of thought, and kept his eyes upon her. "I am glad that I have met you,"
he said; "I wanted to see you," standing in front of her so that she
could not escape.

"But I don't want to see you, sir," Lizzie said, respectfully enough.

"That may be: but still--I have some questions to ask you. Will you come
with me towards the house? We shall be less interrupted there."

"If I must, I'd rather hear you here, sir," said Lizzie. "I won't have
the folks say that I talk with a gentleman in out-of-the-way places.
It's better on the common road."

"As you please," said Dick. "You know what the subject is. I want to
know----"

"What, sir? You said as I was to let you know when trouble came. Now no
trouble's come, and there's no need, nor ever will be. She would never
take help from you."

"Why? She has done me harm enough," he said.

"She never says anything different. She will never take help from you.
She will never hear of you, nor you of her. Never, never. Consider her
as if she were dead, sir--that's all her desire."

"I might have done that before I saw you. But now----"

"You don't mean," said Lizzie, with a sudden eager gleam of curiosity,
"that you--that after all that's come and gone----?" The look that passed
over his face, a flush of indignation, a slight shudder of disgust, gave
her the answer to her unspoken question.