you, Robin.

'I am trying to keep you, not to get rid of Robin. When first you came you said that you had only a fortnight to give me, and the time is running out very fast. I do not want you to spend the little that remains at the Chase.'

'I see how it is: you are afraid that I am going to follow your example. You can be prudent for other people, Polly.'

'It is always easier to be prudent for other people; but indeed, dear Robin, I did not mean to be impertinent and officious. Only you do not seem to consider how young you both are, and I am sure that it would never do.'

'Of course I have been making a fool of myself; I always do,' said Robin, walking about the room in his nervous agitation.

Anthony has put you up to telling me so, in the politest terms of course.'

'Anthony would never dream of such a

thing,' rejoined Mary; the blame is all mine. I thought you a little imprudent, that was all, but I wish that I had never spoken.'

'So do I,' said Robin; 'how can I bear to see her again, when I know that you are watching us and putting a false construction on our innocent friendship? I will go away to-morrow morning.'

'Perhaps it might be better not to see her again,' said Mary reluctantly.

She will think it so odd and uncivil,' resumed Robin; I promised to amuse the children for her, and there is nothing compromising in that; I may as well stay the fortnight out.'

'I could tell her that you were called away,' said Mary.

Poor Robin was heart-sore and angry, or he would not have answered as he did. Oh,

yes; it is easy for some people to tell social lies-lies that it would blister my tongue to utter.'

'Is not that a little hard, Robin?' said Mary, deeply wounded; and his momentary irritation was subdued.

'So it is, Polly; hard and untrue. You are wholly right, and I need not be told that it was a dream of folly and presumption to think that I could ever be worthy of her. I shall go to sea again and get over it, and I will not come here again until she has ceased to be Miss Bertram. I daresay that I shall not have to wait long.'

Mary did not gainsay him, although he lingered for a moment, in the faint hope that she might declare that the folly was not only on his side. He left the room to pack his portmanteau, as he said—perhaps to dash away a few boyish tears over the shattering of his first day-dream, and Mary was left to recover from her discomposure. She had spoken on the impulse of the moment, and was quite unprepared for the effect of her

words.

Robin's hurried departure seemed to be the only possible solution of the difficulty; but it was a disastrous ending to the visit from which she had anticipated unalloyed pleasure, and she was not uneasy about Robin alone. Thomasina would be less easily influenced if her heart were really touched, for she had had her own way all her life, and would be quite unable to see why she should not have it now. And, for the first time in her married life, Mary felt that she must keep a secret from her husband, since it was Robin's secret rather than her own; and she knew that even Anthony, much more Sir Richard, would be deeply offended if the aspirations of his boyish presumption were revealed.

Robin was half-way to London next morning when Thomasina, in perfect unconsciousness of the mine which had been sprung, arrayed herself in her most becoming

white dress, decked out with blue streamers

-of course only in honour of the children who had been invited to keep Tom's birthday. She was surprised that Robin did not come to help her to deck the table on which tea was to be spread under the great cedar on the lawn; but she magnanimously admitted that his sister had a right to his society for a few hours out of the twenty-four, and she looked forward to a long afternoon and evening. At two o'clock the family party arrived, Anthony looking quite patriarchal as he drove his wife and two elder children in the pony-carriage, while the nurse and baby followed in a donkey-cart.

'I suppose that the other two are walking?'

said Thomasina.

Robin was certainly not justified in pronouncing his sister an adept in social lying. She coloured and looked as guilty as she felt as she replied, I was not able to let you