‘I’ll write and tell them how kind Mr. Gibson is,’ said his wife in high contentment, as her husband left the room.  ’They’ll be just as much obliged to him as if she had come!’

Whether it was Helen’s illness, or from some other cause, after breakfast Cynthia became very flat and absent, and this lasted all day long; Molly understood now why her moods had been so changeable for many months, and was tender and forbearing with her accordingly.  Towards evening when the two girls were left alone, Cynthia came and stood over Molly, so that her face could not be seen.

‘Molly,’ said she, ’will you do it?  Will you do what you said last night?  I have been thinking of it all day, and sometimes I believe he would give you back the letters if you asked him; he might fancy—­at any rate it’s worth trying, if you don’t very much dislike it.’

Now it so happened that with every thought she had given to it, Molly disliked the idea of the proposed interview with Mr. Preston more and more; but it was after all her own offer, and she neither could nor would draw back from it; it might do good; she did not see how it could possibly do harm.  So she gave her consent, and tried to conceal her distaste, which grew upon her more and more as Cynthia hastily arranged the details.

’You shall meet him in the avenue leading from the park lodge up to the Towers.  He can come in one way, from the Towers, where he has often business—­he has pass-keys everywhere—­you can go in as we have often done by the lodge—­you need not go far.’

It did strike Molly that Cynthia must have had some experience in making all these arrangements; and she did venture to ask how he was to be informed of all this?  Cynthia only reddened, and replied, ’Oh! never mind!  He will only be too glad to come; you heard him say he wished to discuss the affair more; it is the first time the appointment has come from my side.  If I can but once be free—­oh, Molly, I will love you, and be grateful to you all my life!’

Molly thought of Roger, and that thought prompted her next speech.

’It must be horrible—­I think I’m very brave—­but I don’t think I could have—­could have accepted even Roger, with a half-cancelled engagement hanging over me.’  She blushed as she spoke.

‘You forget how I detest Mr. Preston!’ said Cynthia.  ’It was that, more than any excess of love for Roger, that made me thankful to be at least as securely pledged to some one else.  He did not want to call it an engagement, but I did; because it gave me the feeling of assurance that I was free from Mr. Preston.  And so I am! all but these letters.  Oh! if you can but make him take back his abominable money, and get me my letters.  Then we would bury it all in oblivion, and he could marry somebody else, and I would marry Roger, and no one would be the wiser.  After all it was only what people call “youthful folly.”  And you may tell Mr. Preston that as soon as he makes my letters public, shows them to your father or anything, I’ll go away from Hollingford, and never come back—­’