This was not the moment to advise her sister against clandestine meetings with Captain Hibbert; she was sobbing violently, and Alice had to assure her again and again that no one who had been the belle of the season had ever remained an old maid.  But Alice (having well in mind the fate that had befallen May Gould) grew not a little alarmed when, in the course of next week, she suddenly noticed that Olive was in the habit of going out for long walks alone, and that she invariably returned in a state of high spirits, all the languor and weariness seeming to have fallen from her.

Alice once thought of following her sister.  She watched her open the wicket and walk across the meadows towards the Lawler domain.  There was a bypath there leading to the highroad, but the delicacy of their position in relation to the owners prevented the Bartons from ever making use of it.  Nor did Alice fail to notice that about the same time, Barnes, on the pretence of arranging the room for the evening, would strive to drive her from her writing-table, and beds were made and unmade, dresses were taken out of the wardrobe, and importuning conversations were begun.  But, taking no heed of the officious maid, Alice, her thoughts tense with anxiety, sat at her window watching the slender figure of the girl growing dim in the dying light.  Once she did not return until it was quite dark, and, reproaching herself for having remained so long silent, Alice walked across the pleasure-grounds to meet her.

‘What, you here?’ cried Olive, surprised at finding her sister waiting for her at the wicket.  She was out of breath; she had evidently been running.

’Yes, Olive, I was anxious to speak to you—­you must know that it is very wrong to meet Captain Hibbert—­and in the secrecy of a wood!’

’Who told you I had been to meet Captain Hibbert?  I suppose you have been following me!’

’No, Olive, I haven’t, and you have no right to accuse me of such meanness.  I have not been following you, but I cannot help putting two and two together.  You told me something of this once before, and since then you have scarcely missed an evening.’

‘Well, I don’t see any harm in meeting Edward; he is going to marry me.’

‘Going to marry you?’

’Yes, going to marry me; is there anything so very extraordinary in that?  Mamma had no right to break off the match, and I am not going to remain an old maid.’

‘And have you told mother about this?’

‘No, where’s the use, since she won’t hear of it?’

‘And are you going to run away with Captain Hibbert?’

‘Run away with him!’ exclaimed Olive, laughing strangely.  ’No, of course I am not.’

‘And how are you to marry him if you don’t tell mother?’

’I shall tell her when the time comes to tell her.  And now, Alice dear, you will promise not to betray me, won’t you?  You will not speak about this to anyone, you promise me?  If you did, I know I should go mad or kill myself.’