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perhaps tending to decline-she was incomparably superior to those who were in full war-paint at table. And yet she made no assumption to be anything.

'Theresa,' said Percival in a low tone, 'I must have a word with you presently.'

'I do not know when it can be.'

'I have come all the way for your answer to my question.' "What question?'

'That I cast through the carriage window.'

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She looked into her plate. I cannot give it you now.' 'No, I do not exact it now.

But have it I must.'

Nothing further passed between them; Percival's attention was drawn away by Miss Boxholder, who wanted to know what Mr. Curgenven could tell her about Aunt Jane and Alice and Mr. Pamphlet, and about various matters connected with Curgenven.

Percival did his best to answer, and Mrs. Boxholder glanced with satisfaction at her daughter and guest, in the conviction that they were getting on famously together.

Presently Percival had another chance of turning to his neighbour on the other side.

'Theresa! do you know that you have saved
have saved my life?'
'Surely not.'

"Yes, I was number thirteen, and you came in and made the fourteenth, so I have escaped. I owe you a debt for that.'

'An imaginary debt is easily repaid. I owe you a real obligation, for you set and healed my arm.'

"Ah! I forgot about that. So you are well now?'

'Yes, except for a slight stiffness. Now pray talk to Miss Rose, or her mother will visit your neglect on me.'

'Where shall you be after dinner?'

"That depends. If Mrs. Boxholder wishes my presence, in the drawing-room. If not, I suppose I shall go back to the school

room.'

'Very well. I shall find you somewhere; in the drawing-room or the schoolroom. I have come to Scotland to see you-and you only.'

CHAPTER XXVI.

IN THE SCHOOLROOM.

WHEN Percival Curgenven entered the drawing-room with the gentlemen after the coffee had been passed round, his eye wandered in quest of Theresa, and he was soon aware that she was not there. Mrs. Boxholder had given her a look accompanied by a slight wave of her hand as she rose from table; this had not escaped Percival, and he understood now its significance.

Theresa had accomplished what had been required of her, to make the fourteenth, and was dismissed back into seclusion, to the nursery or to the schoolroom, and was not to appear in the drawing-room. She was not dressed for the evening, and was consequently unsuited to be with the rest, and only suffered to be among them for so long as was required to avert ill-luck from the party.

Percival's teeth closed, and a little spot of colour rose on his cheek-bones. If Mrs. Boxholder had looked his way she would not have liked the expression of his eye turned towards her.

He hoped against hope that Theresa would return. The party was not lively; it consisted for the most part of elderly persons, and there were elements that damped cheerfulness. Conversation rose, flagged, rose again, again to flag. A young lady sang, and sang out of tune. Mr. West attempted a humorous ditty, but the accompanist had never tried the piece before, did not catch the character, and was unable to accommodate the time to Mr. West's somewhat capricious rendering. Consequently voice and piano were not together, and the comic song proved a dismal failure; no one laughed, and Mr. West, very much ashamed of himself, retired into a corner and looked at an album of photographs.

Miss Rose without much persuasion was induced to play "Le Carnaval de Venise,' of which everyone knew every note by heart; she played it in a hard, unsympathetic manner. Conversation halted at the first few bars, and then resumed its uneven and straggling course. Mr. Curgenven stood by the piano and turned over the music pages for Rose.

'Now,' said he, why do you not give us the "Drumduskie Pibroch" or the "MacNaught Strathspey"?"

Miss Boxholder looked sharply at him to see whether he were making fun of her, but his muscles did not betray his thoughts. 'Come,' said he, we are old acquaintance; a word with you in the conservatory.'

The French windows opened into a glazed gallery that ran the length of the house, and was lighted by pendant lamps of ruby glass. It was furnished with flowers and ferns and plants of variegated foliage.

Mrs. Boxholder's eye followed Mr. Curgenven and her daughter as they entered the conservatory, and she flashed a gleam of triumph across the room at her husband, then hinted. to Lady Duff-Duff the secret that filled her maternal heart with satisfaction.

To propose, is he?' asked Lady Duff-Duff in a loud tone. She was somewhat deaf herself and spoke loudly, as though everyone she addressed were three degrees deafer than herself. Mrs. Boxholder bit her lip. The words had been overheard, and at once a good many pairs of eyes were directed towards the conservatory.

When Percival was out of the room with Rose Boxholder be said: 'I will tell you at once what I want. How is your governess's arm? I attended her after the accident. Indeed, it was Justinian and I who brought it about, and I feel a sort of self-reproach accordingly.'

'I suppose her arm is better.'

'She can use it; I saw that at dinner. Is it quite well?'

'I do not know, I suppose so.'

'I dare say you would be good enough to allow me to see her for a moment, and find out that all is well. Her collar-bone was broken.'

'Oh, certainly. I fancy she is in the schoolroom. We can get to it this way; one window opens into the conservatory.'

I shall be much obliged. You know I am a surgeon by profession, and this good lady was my patient.'

Rose Boxholder led the way to the end of the conservatory and tapped at a French window over which curtains hung; they were drawn aside, and Theresa appeared and unbolted the door.

Rose stepped in, and as she did so Percival trod on the train of her gown and tore it out of the gathers. She turned on him with an expression of annoyance, and looked at the mischief done.

You must go to Louisa and ask her to run it up for you,' said

Theresa; you cannot return into the drawing-room in this condition.'

Rose, without another word, but with shrugged shoulders and a sulky mouth, swung out of the schoolroom in quest of the lady'smaid; so Percival and Theresa were left together.

The schoolroom was plainly furnished, but comfortable. A pleasant fire was burning in the grate. By this Theresa had been seated in a low chair. There was no other light in the room save that thrown out by the coal fire.

'You were sitting there,' said Percival, pointing to the place from which she had risen to admit him and Rose. 'Go back there

again, and let me take a chair by you. I have come nominally to inquire about your collar-bone, but you know very well that I did not come from Cornwall for that alone. You gave me no answer to a question I asked of you as you whirled away from Plymouth. And, by-the-bye, there is some money I borrowed of you'

'You sent it me.'

'Did I? I had forgotten. That was marvellous; I am usually forgetful.'

Percival Curgenven took a chair on the further side of the fireplace to that occupied by Theresa on her low seat.

'How are you here?' he asked. 'Are they kind to you?' She had her hands folded on her knee. Her fingers plucked at her dress; she slightly smiled: "I suppose so—as much as I can expect. I must live, and I must take what I can to live.'

'Now I have come to ask you to leave this situation, and come to Curgenven. My cook borrowed my dogcart and groom and roan-without asking leave

'What, you want me to take your situation as cook?' she said, laughing.

'No; do not misunderstand me. All the servants are in revolt. I do not understand how to manage them. I got on well enough in the Pill Box, but in Curgenven I am lost. I must have a wife to manage for me.'

'As a sort of upper servant?'

6

'No,' said Percival impatiently. Of course not. I am bewildered at Curgenven. I want a wife to manage for me. I have not been accustomed to any other than a kick-about life. I have tried ranching and sheep-farming and timber-felling, surgery, journalism, and have failed in all I undertook, but never so dead

as in my present position as squire. I bid fair to upset the whole cart. Come and be my wife, Theresa, and put me and Justinian and the place to rights. There is Justinian. He must be sent to college, or something done with him, and I don't know how to set about it. Then I don't know how to pour out afternoon tea; I gave tea-extract strong as poison to one and water to another; so that you see I positively must have a wife.'

Theresa remained looking musingly into the fire with a halfsmile on her face, but with pain in the smile as well as amusement. She did not speak for some minutes, but at last looked up full at Percival and said: 'I should indeed be ungrateful were I to take you at your word without a caution. Do you not see that the wife you want is quite another woman from myself? You require one full of experience of English social life, not one who has been something of a Bohemian in her career as well as by birth. You need one who will supply all that is wanting in yourself. You and I have been hustled about in the world, have lived a hand-tomouth life, associated not with the best classes, the well-to-do, and well-ballasted. You feel now that you are at a loss how to steer in a shoaly sea, and you ask for a pilot. For that I am unsuited. Take to you one who has grown up in the great social cage, who sees bars on every side and never thinks of beating her wing against these bars, who is content with the groundsel and sugar thrust in betwixt the bars, and has not the wish to cater for herself. That is the mate you require.'

'I know what you mean,' said Percival irritably; 'you advise me to match myself with a Jane Curgenven, who would drive Justinian into revolt in a week and send me flying from her into space in a fortnight. Do you think it possible I could endure such a woman? One such as Jane cannot think outside the cage-bars. The world without, the glorious sunshine, the free air, the rustling trees, the buttercup meadows are tabooed. The birds of the air that nest in hedge and under ivy are condemned and abhorred. Thank you for your kind advice; it is unpalatable, and I will not take it. Achilles and Siegfried were case-hardened, but each had a vulnerable point, one at the heel, the other between the shoulderblades, but such a woman as Jane Curgenven is without a point through which a needle might be driven to prick her conscience. Such women drive me to rebellion. No, Theresa, I must have a wife who has gone through some such experience in life as myself, who can understand my thoughts and troubles and difficulties,'

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