’But when will you tell mother of your resolution to marry Captain Hibbert?’

’Tell her?  I’ll tell her to-morrow if you like; that is to say, if you will give me your word of honour not to speak to her about my meeting Edward in the Lawler Wood.’

Afterwards Alice often wondered at her dullness in not guessing the truth.  But at the time it did not occur to her that Olive might have made arrangements to elope with Captain Hibbert; and, on the understanding that all was to be explained on the following day, she promised to keep her sister’s secret.

XXV

Lord Dungory dined at Brookfield that evening.  He noticed that Olive was nervous and restless, and he reminded her of what a French poet had said on the subject of beauty.  But she only turned her fair head impatiently, and a little later on when her mother spoke to her she burst into tears.  Nor was she as easily consoled as usual, and she did not become calm until Mrs. Barton suggested that her dear child was ill, and that she would go upstairs and put her to bed.  Then, looking a little alarmed, Olive declared she was quite well, but she passionately begged to be left alone.  As they left the dining-room she attempted to slip away; Alice made a movement as if to follow her, but Mrs. Barton said: 

’Leave her to herself, Alice; she would rather be left alone.  She has overstrained her nerves, that is all.’

Olive heard these words with a singular satisfaction, and as she ascended the stairs from the first landing, her heart beat less violently.  On the threshold of her room she paused to listen for the drawing-room door to shut.  Through the silent house the lock sounded sharply.

‘I hope none of them will come upstairs bothering after me,’ the girl murmured to herself.  ‘If they do I shall go mad;’ and standing in the middle of the floor she looked round the room vacantly, unable to collect her thoughts.  The wardrobe was on her right, and, seeing herself in the glass, she wondered if she were looking well.  Her eyes wandered from her face to her shoulders, and thence to her feet.  Going over to the toilette-table she sought amid her boots, and, having selected a strong pair, she began to button them.  Her back was turned to the door, and at the slightest sound she started.  Once or twice the stairs creaked, and she felt something would occur to stop her.  Her heart was beating so violently that she thought she was going to be ill; and she almost burst out crying because she could not make up her mind if she should put on a hat and travelling-shawl, or run down to the wood as she was, to meet the Captain.  ‘He will surely,’ she thought, ’have something in the carriage to put around me, but he may bring the dog-cart, and it looks very cold.  But if Alice or mamma saw me coming downstairs with a shawl on, they’d suspect something, and I shouldn’t be able to get away.  I wonder what time it is?  I promised to meet Edward at nine; he’ll of course wait for me, but what time is it?  We dined at half-past seven; we were an hour at dinner, half-past eight, and I have been ten minutes here.  It must be nearly nine now, and it will take me ten minutes to get to the corner of the road.  The house is quiet now.’