close to her d

e life-blood's

breath did th

fawn in the oake

-room, adding up accounts. She had given Pansy her lunch, eaten some bread and cheese herself, and lef

s renouncing an hour of his precious cricket to do this. What a darling he was! Virginia's eyes grew misty as she thought of him-how pluckily he went withou

ey had always waited to pay it until the cheque for the quarter's rent at Lissendean came in. Now there was no cheque to be expected. If her mother's errand to-day had f

ith her mother's pretty things, wou

d attention, given to herself, whenever they had been in company. There had been a tiny secret thread of mutual understanding-or so Virginia had thought. It now appeared that she was mistaken. There had been nothing between them. It was like brushing gossamer from before one's eyes. It had been there,

see the Rosenbergs again. She would have to be

herself hoping that a marriage between the two might come about. If this Mr. Gaunt-what an uncomfortable name!-was ready to take his

f, Pansy and Tony in it-no mother to wait upon; for dearly as she loved the privilege of

as she did so, glancing up, she saw to her surpr

aught a very ea

y, sulky face, the lids slightly puffed as with recent tears, told Virginia that the news was not good; and h

later on-come to your sitting-room; let me put you on the sofa and take off your shoes. You will soon feel better," she cr

vexed with her, had that not been improbable under the circumstances. What was it? Did mamma think she ought to have met the train? Or did she want special tea made for her alone

eet on the ground, her elbows on a small table, crying silently into her ridiculous pocket-handkerchief.

all about it whe

pon her daughter; and the girl, conscious of some unspoken

ence was broken, "did Miriam Rosenberg, when you

the picture of

said she, wonderingly, "and-oh, ye

y with Gerald, caused the rosy tint to steal up on her pale

et a gentle

ified, Virginia

k! A dark man,

taken, she started quite visibly. "The lame

s blue eyes as she stood up, confronting her ta

Was it indeed? Oh, then, pe

nts fo

peak to him-that he looked as if he thought he knew me!

Mynors, crumpling up her handkerchief into a tight ball with vin

. He-he followed us about rather persistently, until Mims and I felt uncomforta

though, for all that! At le

in her amused amaze. "Oh, mummie, don't be s

ambassador! You might have been able to come to terms. Tell me," she cried sharply, grasping her daughter's wrist, "tell me what you thought of

a stranger. This was a mother she had never seen. "Oh, mother,

lung back upon her sofa pillows. She began

she with sarcasm. "Tell me now, ho

n was etched clearly in her mind's eye. "Mims did not like him at all," said sh

s the scornful comment. "Well, shall you have him, Vi

," said the meek Virginia. "I really can't understand what you mean, you a

just how much had passed between you, and I understand things a little better after what you tell me. Well! In short, I have what

hair opposite her mother, who, between sips

g used to the idea. The sense of outrage, which had stung her so smartly at first, subsided a little, in the light of other considerations. What chances of matrimony had Virginia? Since she had let young Rosenberg slip through her fingers, her mother was beginning to see that

ece. Why had he taken up the mortgage on Lissendean? To have her in his power. Why did he wish to become her son-in-law? For the same reason. Try to deceive herself as she might, she knew that love had no place in the man's thoughts. When he h

ughter anything of the kind. Her better nature had at first fought within her a little. She resolved that she would describe Gaunt's malevolence, his cold-blooded assurance. Then she would come forward, offer to share a part of Vi

not face

n love. She determined upon her course of action. She would tell Virginia how Gaunt had watched her in the Gallery. The girl's own demeanour should give h

ited her clear memory of Gaunt's attention and pursuit. She had owned, with a distinct hesitation, that she thought he looked unhappy. That decided Mrs. Mynors. With a new hard-heartedness, born of her new,

g his appearance and manner, as she held them in her memory, the girl owned to

g, and could be heard throwing down his books, and shouting for Virgie. He knew better than to enter the l

irgie gravely, as she lifted the tray w

ea prepared. Tony was a willing, if somewhat boisterous, helper. He and his sister between them soon arranged things, and the too brilliant eyes of th

cut profile, which, as she could not conceal from herself, grew ever more ethereal. Pansy did not s

. He thought it the only chance; but as it was protracted, and involved a long course of skilled nursin

Pansy to Tony, and at the darns on his threadbare trouser-knees. She heard his jolly laugh, and also his quickly smothered sigh, as he remarked that

d as suggested. It was a bribe of whose

or recuperative purposes. Moreover, she had been up late most nights during her stay in town, and the thought of Gerald had at times disturbed her rest. Since her return-and more especially since hearing about the mortgage trouble-her strength seemed to grow less and less. The knowledge that she was almost at the end of her means, and saw no chance of replenishin

ed to her. The three were bracketed together in her mind, a

country-the real country. Omberleigh Grange was in Derbyshire, and it must have a garden-a real garden, such as she had been born to, such as she loved. A garden in which to rest and grow

his empty heart by cherishing her. In return, he would do for mother, for Pansy, for Tony, all the things that she, poor Virgie, in her helplessness, could not do, with all her love. The sacrifice de

There had been shining gates-the gates of a young girl's fancy-and shyly t

le plan-a rope held out to save her perishing family, drifting on a bit of wreckage. In the

wever, that night. Pansy was a little over-tired after her garden excursion, and could not get to sleep, so, instead of sitting with her mother downstairs, Virginia remained at the little

ith that it was granted. Like her namesake in far-off old Rome, she must be sacrificed. She remembered the words of the ballad she had lear

r to courage and a stout heart. The man was a stranger, the man was formidable

way, and she res