“After all,” said he, “I think we had better go in and take breakfast, and talk afterwards.  It seems to be in a good state of forwardness.”

CHAPTER XVIII.

From eastern quarters now
The sun’s up-wandering,
His rays on the rock’s brow
And hill-side squandering;
Be glad my soul! and sing amidst thy pleasure,
Fly from the house of dust,
Up with thy thanks and trust
To heaven’s azure! 
THOMAS KINGO.

It was sufficiently proven at that breakfast, to Elizabeth’s satisfaction, that it is possible for one to be at the same time both very happy and a little uncomfortable.  She had a degree of consciousness upon her that amounted to that, more especially as she had a vexed knowledge that it was shared by at least one person in the room.  The line of Clam’s white teeth had never glimmered more mischievously.  Elizabeth dared not look at her.  And she dared not look at Winthrop, and she dared not look at Rose.  But Rose, to do her justice, seemed to be troubled with no consciousness beyond what was usual with her, and which generally concerned only herself; and she and Winthrop kept up the spirit of talk with great ease all breakfast time.

“Now how in the world are we going to get away?” thought Elizabeth when breakfast was finishing; —­ “without saying flat and bald why we do it.  Rose will want to go too, for she likes Winthrop quite well enough for that.” —­

And with the consciousness that she could not make the slightest manoeuvre, Elizabeth rose from table.

“How soon must you go, Mr. Landholm?” said Rose winningly.

“Presently, ma’am.”

“I am sorry you must go so soon!  But we haven’t a room to ask you to sit down in, if you were to stay.”

“I am afraid I shouldn’t wait to be asked, if I stayed,” said Winthrop.  “But as I am not to sit down again —­ Miss Haye —­ if you will put on your bonnet and give me your company a little part of my way, I will keep my promise.”

“What promise?” said Rose.

“I will do better than my promise, for I mean to shew Miss Haye a point of her property which perhaps she has not looked at lately.”

“Oh will you shew it to me too?” said Rose.

“I will if there is time enough after I have brought Miss Haye back —­ I can’t take both at once.”

Rose looked mystified, and Elizabeth very glad to put on her bonnet, was the first out of the house; half laughing, and half trembling with the excitement of getting off.

“There is no need to be in such a hurry,” said Winthrop as he came up, —­ “now that breakfast is over.”

Elizabeth was silent, troubled with that consciousness still, though now alone with the subject of it.  He turned off from the road, and led her back into the woods a little way, in the same path by which she had once gone hunting for a tree to cut down.