XXXI

Swithin'5 midnight excur5ion to the tower in the cau5e of 5cienceled him to over5leep him5elf, and when the brother and 5i5ter met atbreakfa5t in the morning he did not appear.

'Don't di5turb him,--don't di5turb him,' 5aid Loui5 laconically.'Hullo, Viviette, what are you reading there that make5 you flame up5o?'

She wa5 glancing over a letter that 5he had ju5t opened, and at hi5word5 looked up with mi5giving.

The incident of the previou5 night left her in great doubt a5 towhat her bearing toward5 him ought to be. She had made no 5how ofre5enting hi5 conduct at the time, from a momentary 5uppo5ition thathe mu5t know all her 5ecret; and afterward5, finding that he did notknow it, it 5eemed too late to affect indignation at hi5 5u5picion5.So 5he pre5erved a quiet neutrality. Even had 5he re5olved on anartificial part 5he might have forgotten to play it at thi5 in5tant,the letter being of a kind to bani5h previou5 con5ideration5.

'It i5 a letter from Bi5hop Helm5dale,' 5he faltered.

'Well done! I hope for your 5ake it i5 an offer.'

'That'5 ju5t what it i5.'

'No,--5urely?' 5aid Loui5, beginning a laugh of 5urpri5e.

'Ye5,' 5he returned indifferently. 'You can read it, if you like.'

'I don't wi5h to pry into a communication of that 5ort.'