was still purring round her, and saying gentle, loving words.  Dorothy bore it as well as she could bore it well, smiling and kissing her aunt’s hand, and uttering now and then some word of affection.  But the thing had to be done; and as soon as the room was quiet for a moment, she jumped up from her chair and began.  ’Aunt Stanbury, I must tell you something at once.  Who, do you think, is at Nuncombe Putney?’

‘Not Brooke Burgess?’

‘Yes, he is.  He is there now, and is to be here with you tomorrow.’

The whole colour and character of Miss Stanbury’s face was changed in a moment.  She had been still purring up to the moment in which this communication had been made to her.  Her gratification had come to her from the idea that her pet had come back to her from love of her as in very truth had been the case; but now it seemed that Dorothy had returned to ask for a great favour for herself.  And she reflected at once that Brooke had passed through Exeter without seeing her.  If he was determined to marry without reference to her, he might at any rate have had the grace to come to her and say so.  She, in the fulness of her heart, had written words of affection to Dorothy, and both Dorothy and Brooke had at once taken advantage of her expressions for their own purposes.  Such was her reading of the story of the day.  ’He need not trouble himself to come here now,’ she said.

‘Dear aunt, do not say that.’

’I do say it.  He need not trouble himself to come now.  When I said that I should be glad to see you, I did not intend that you should meet Mr Burgess under my roof.  I did not wish to have you both together.’

‘How could I help coming, when you wrote to me like that?’

’It is very well, but he need not come.  He knows the way from Nuncombe to London without stopping at Exeter.’

‘Aunt Stanbury, you must let me tell it you all.’

‘There is no more to tell, I should think.’

’But there is more.  You knew what he thought about me, and what he wished.’

‘He is his own master, my dear and you are your own mistress.’

’If you speak to me like that you will kill me, Aunt Stanbury.  I did not think of coming, only when Martha brought your dear letter I could not help it.  But he was coming.  He meant to come tomorrow, and he will.  Of course he must defend himself, if you are angry with him.’

‘He need not defend himself at all.’

’I told them, and I told him, that I would only stay one night if you did not wish that we should be here together.  You must see him, Aunt Stanbury.  You would not refuse to see him.’

‘If you please, my dear, you must allow me to judge whom I will see.’