id.

"And love me?"

"And love you," she answered, again looking him full in the face.
"But now pray, pray let us go on." For he had stopped her awhile
amidst the trees, and had put out his hand as though to take hers,
and had opened his arms as though he would embrace her. But she
passed on quickly, and hardly answered his further questions till
they found themselves together in the hall of the house.

Then they met Lady Tringle, who was just passing into the room where
the lunch was laid, and following her were Augusta, Gertrude, and the
Honourable Septimus Traffick. For, though Frank Houston had found
himself compelled to go at the day named, the Honourable Septimus
had contrived to squeeze out another week. Augusta was indeed still
not without hope that the paternal hospitality of Glenbogie might be
prolonged till dear Merle Park should once again open her portals.
Sir Thomas had already passed into the dining-room, having in gruff
voice informed his wife that he had invited Mr. Hamel to come in to
lunch. "Mr. Hamel!" she had exclaimed. "Yes, Mr. Hamel. I could not
see the man starving when he had come all this way. I don't know
anything against him." Then he had turned away, and had gone into
the dining-room, and was now standing with his back to the empty
fire-place, determined to take Mr. Hamel's part if any want of
courtesy were shown to him.

It certainly was hard upon Lady Tringle. She frowned and was going to
walk on without any acknowledgment, when Lucy timidly went through
a form of introduction. "Aunt Emmeline, this is Mr. Hamel. Uncle
Tom met him somewhere in the grounds and has asked him to come to
luncheon." Then Lady Tringle curtseyed and made a bow. The curtsey
and the bow together were sufficient to have crushed the heart of any
young man who had not been comforted and exalted by such words as
Isadore had heard from Lucy's lips not five minutes since. "And love
you," she had said. After that Lady Tringle might curtsey and bow
as she would, and he could still live uncrushed. After the curtsey
and the bow Lady Tringle passed on. Lucy fell into the rank behind
Gertrude; and then Hamel afterwards took his place behind the
Honourable Septimus. "If you will sit there, Mr. Hamel," said Lady
Tringle, pointing to a chair, across the table, obliquely, at the
greatest possible distance from that occupied by Lucy. There he
was stationed between Mr. Traffick and Sir Thomas. But now, in his
present frame of