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what was worse, she had not asked his leave, and he had not spoken one word or given a single glance, in renewal of his passionate love-making and proposal to her in the hayfield at Whitehills four years before. Nay, he had seemed at every crisis to turn-with whatever mixed motives—to Marianne Dugdale.

At last Iris slept soundly; but even then she was disturbed by the business of the inn, or by the figments of her own imagination. She thought she heard some one calling her name loudly and urgently, and when she started up in bed and listened and failed to distinguish a voice speaking to her, she seemed to hear the noise of wheels driving rapidly from the door.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE BEAST RISES UP A PRINCE.

IRIS slept late after a troubled night, and when she awoke and looked at her watch she could take nothing into account save that she had been shockingly lazy, though the sun was shining brightly enough after the rain to tempt all exemplary travellers to be up and abroad on unfamiliar ground. Iris grudged losing the bright morning, and she grudged still more keeping Marianne Dugdale, Sir William Thwaite, and Soames hanging about till she should choose to appear for breakfast. She had no time to spare for more than the general confusion with which the incidents of the past day—especially if they have been of an unusual character and crowded together -are apt to present themselves to people on their first awakening from a few hours' welcome oblivion.

VOL. III.

52

Iris for once took refuge in self-evasion, for she had a half-formed notion, after her dim, partly remembered dreams, that she too had acted rashly and foolishly in what had passed, though it was no more than in being guilty of an appearance of evil in yielding to figure in an indiscreet, not too delicate parody of a solemn service. She might well feel provoked and mortified by discovering that she had put herself, unless her companions were considerate and forbearing-and when had Lady Fermor been either the one or the other?-in an awkward, embarrassing position? It was not to be thought that nobody-Marianne in her thoughtlessness, Lady Fermor in her malice, even Sir William in some blundering fashion-would ever allude to the rainy day at the inn on the Borders, and the amusement to which the party had resorted in order to spur on the lagging hours. If such allusions were made, how was Iris to look; what was she-or, when it came to that, what was Sir William -to think?

When Iris ran downstairs, half unwilling to face her companions, and yet eager to have the meeting over, she believed she

was later than she had suspected. The maid Jeannie, standing at one of the doors on the landing, withdrew into the room as if ashamed for Iris's credit to encounter her at such an hour, and unwilling to detain her, while another servant, Iris fancied, looked at her with tittering significance.

But what was Iris's surprise when she entered the inn parlour and found it empty, with breakfast only laid for one! She rang the bell in a little trepidation, for she was conscious that Marianne was capable of playing her a trick, though Iris considered it would be especially unkind and undeserved this morning.

As another instance of the unexpected happening, the landlord chose to wait in person, bringing in the dish of trouts as his excuse for his presence. Where are the others? Iris inquired, without waiting for the departure of the single rustic young waiter, who was also favouring her with his attentions, and showing no hurry in depositing and arranging the tea and coffee service so as to satisfy a scrupulous taste. 'Have they all breakfasted and gone out? I am afraid I am very late;' and Iris tried

to smile instead of feeling absurdly disconcerted.

The landlord did not hasten to answer her with civil fluency. He began staring at her in silence. 'Do you not know, miss, they are gone?' he said at last, cautiously.

'Gone!' exclaimed Iris, not able to believe her ears. 'Ah! for a morning's excursion, I suppose,' she took heart to exclaim. 'But Lady Fermor never drives out before luncheon, and Mrs. Soames cannot have left her.'

'The leddy and her maid and the other young leddy went first,' said the landlord with precision. 'The gentleman only left about an hour syne.'

'An hour ago?-that was still early. What could influence Lady Fermor to go out even earlier ? Where have they gone ? When are they coming back?' cried Iris, in unrestrained bewilderment.

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That I cannot take it upon me to say, miss-you should know better than me. But I apprehend you're in error on one point. You seem to think all your party went the same gate, nigh hand together?'

Iris nodded, her tongue refused its office.

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