“‘Helena.  Your letter has arrived, I see.’

“‘Bertram.  Yes, I have just read it.’

“‘H.  Well?’

“‘B.  It says I must delay no longer.’

“‘H.  When shall you start?’

“‘B.  Tomorrow, at the latest.’

“‘H.  Have you told my aunt?’

“‘B.  Not yet:  I must do it now.’

“‘H.  Shall you go direct to London?’

“‘B.  No:  I stop one night at the Grange.’

“‘H.  Oh, then I will ask you to be the bearer of my letter.’

“‘B.  Is that all you will permit me to do for you?’

“‘H.  I am careful not to burden my friends.’

“‘B.  Then you have no belief in true friendship.’”

“Well, Philip, let me try whilst you are at the office, and see what I can suggest: 

“‘Your letter has arrived, I see,’ said Helena, turning as Bertram entered, letter in hand.

“‘Yes, I have just read it,’ he replied, advancing and leaning his arm on the mantelpiece.

“‘Well?’ said Helena, stooping as if to warm her hands, but really endeavoring to shade her face.

“‘It says I must delay no longer,’ he answered, trying to assume an air of indifference.

“‘When shall you start?’ she said, resuming her work and fixing her eyes on her pattern.

“‘To-morrow, at the latest,’ he replied, transferring the letter to his pocket.

“‘Have you told my aunt?’ she said, searching her work-basket for her scissors.

“‘Not yet:  I must do it now,’ he said, putting back the little ornament his elbow had displaced.

“‘Shall you go direct to London?’ she said, trying to disentangle a skein of colored yarn.

“‘No:  I stop one night at the Grange,’ he said quietly, but with an air of decision.

“‘Then I will ask you to be the bearer of my letter,’ she added, laying down her work as she spoke.

“‘Is that all you will permit me to do for you?’ he asked anxiously.

“‘Oh, I never burden my friends,’ she said, raising her head and tossing back her curls.

“‘Then you have no belief in true friendship,’ he answered in a tone of bitterness.”

“That is pretty good,” said Constance to herself, “but I will take these two young people out of doors:  perhaps Philip may be better pleased: 

“‘Your letter has arrived, I see,’ said Helena, advancing as Bertram opened the garden gate.

“‘Yes, I have just read it,’ he replied as he secured the fastening.

“‘Well?’ said Helena, taking the path to the house.

“‘It says I must delay no longer,’ he replied, proffering her a bunch of wild-flowers he had gathered in his walk.

“‘When shall you start?’ said Helena, turning away to pluck some rosebuds, which she added to her bouquet.