‘Well,’ he said, looking full at me, but, I was sure, not in the least wishful to set me at my ease, ’I suppose I ought to introduce myself.  My name is Hamilton.’

I bowed.  I certainly did not think it necessary that I should tell him that I was aware of that fact.

’We met yesterday, when you were good enough to put up with Nap’s company.  I was half disposed to introduce myself then:  only I feared you would be shocked at such a piece of unconventionality; young ladies have such strict ideas of decorum.’

‘And very properly so, too,’ I put in severely, for my irritation was getting the better of my nervousness.  I could not bear the tone in which he said ‘young ladies.’  I felt convinced he had an antipathy to the whole sex.

‘Our skies were very uncivil in their welcome,’ he went on, quite disregarding my remark:  ’it was the wettest night we have had for an age.  I was quite savage when I found the horses had been taken out of their warm stables:  the coachman was an ass, as I told him.’

‘You scolded him somewhat severely.’

‘Ah! did you hear me?’ smiling a little at that, as though he were amused.  ’I am afraid I speak my mind pretty freely, in spite of bystanders.  Well, Miss Garston, so I hear you have come down as a sort of female Quixote among us.  Heathfield is to be the scene of your mission.’

I was so angry at the tone in which he said this that I made no reply.  What right had a perfect stranger to meddle in my business?  It was all Uncle Max’s fault; if he had only held his tongue.

‘Cunliffe was up at Gladwyn the other night,’ he continued in the same off-hand way, ‘and he told us all about it.’

‘I am sorry to hear it,’ very stiffly.

’Sorry!  Why?  Good deeds ought to be talked about, ought they not, pro bono publico, eh?  Why not, Miss Garston?’

‘Good intentions are not deeds.’

’True; you have me there.  I suppose you think you must not reckon on your chickens before they are hatched; the pro bono publico scheme is not properly hatched yet, except in theory.  I am afraid I shall make you angry if I tell you I was rather amused at the whole thing.’

‘I am glad to afford you amusement, Mr. Hamilton.’

’Ah, I see you are deeply offended; what a pity, and in five minutes too!  That comes of my unfortunate habit of speaking my mind.  Let me follow this out.  I am afraid Cunliffe has been a traitor; that fellow is not reliable:  no parsons are.  Let me hear what you have against me, Miss Garston.  I have spoken against your pet theory, and you are aggrieved in consequence,’

He spoke in a half-jesting manner, but his ironical voice challenged me.

I felt I detested him, and he should know why.

‘I expected to be misunderstood,’ I returned coldly, ’but hardly to be accused of hysterical goodness.  To be sure, a girl will do anything nowadays to get herself talked about!’