and her lover. But Gertrude had no doubt
that she was closely watched, and in these circumstances was driven
to think how she could best use her wits so as to countermine her
father. To run away from Queen's Gate would, she thought, be more
difficult, and more uncomfortable, than to perform the same operation
at Merle Park. It was intended that the family should remain in the
country, at any rate, till Easter, and Gertrude resolved that there
might yet be time for another effort before Easter should be past, if
only she could avoid those hundred Argus eyes, which were, no doubt,
fixed upon her from all sides.

She prepared another letter to her lover, which she addressed to him
at his club in London. In this she told him nothing of her former
project, except that a letter written by her in November had fallen
into the hands of enemies. Then she gave him to understand that there
was need of the utmost caution; but that, if adequate caution were
used, she did not doubt they might succeed. She said nothing about
her great project, but suggested to him that he should run down
into Sussex, and meet her at a certain spot indicated, outside
the Park-palings, half-an-hour after dusk. It might be, she said,
impossible that the meeting should be effected, but she thought that
she could so manage as to leave the house unwatched at the appointed
hour. With the object of being especially safe she began and
concluded her letter without any names, and then managed to deposit
it herself in the box of the village post-office.

Houston, when he received this letter, at once made up his mind that
he would not be found on the outer side of the Park-palings on the
evening named. He told himself that he was too old for the romance
of love-making, and that should he be received, when hanging about
in the dark, by some custodian with a cudgel, he would have nothing
to thank but his own folly. He wrote back therefore to say that he
regarded the outside of the Park-palings as indiscreet, but that he
would walk up through the lodge-gate to the house at three o'clock in
the afternoon of the day named, and he would take it as an additional
mark of her favour if she would meet him on the road. Gertrude
had sent him a mysterious address; he was to direct the letter to
"O. P. Q., Post Office, Hastings," and she was prepared to hire a
country boy to act as Love's messenger on the occasion. But of this
instruction Frank took no notice, addressing the