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Elfride glided downstairs on tiptoe, and out to the precise spot on which she had parted from Stephen to enable him to speak privately to her father Thence she wandered into all the nooks around the place froe laurestines, about the tufts of pa wych-el indoors she called 'Unity!'

'She is gone to her aunt's, to spend the evening,' said Mr Swancourt, thrusting his head out of his study door, and letting the light of his candles strea than, as it see the blush of uneasy perplexity that was burning upon her cheek

'I didn't know you were indoors, papa,' she said with surprise 'Surely no light was shining from the hen I was on the lawn?' and she looked and saw that the shutters were still open

'Oh yes, I am in,' he said indifferently 'What did you want Unity for? I think she laid supper before she went out'

'Did she?--I have not been to see--I didn't want her for that'

Elfride scarcely kne that a definite reason was required, what that reason was Her mind for a moment strayed to another subject, uni inside the fender, which explained that why she had seen no rays frohted

'I'll coht you were out somewhere with Mr Smith'

Even the inexperienced Elfride could not help thinking that her father must be wonderfully blind if he failed to perceive as the nascent consequence of herself and Stephen being so uncereether; wonderfully careless, if he saw it and did not think about it; wonderfully good, if, as seemed to her by far the ht about it and approved of it These reflections were cut short by the appearance of Stephen just outside the porch, silvered about the head and shoulders with touches of h the trees

'Has your trouble anything to do with a kiss on the lawn?' she asked abruptly, almost passionately

'Kiss on the lawn?'

'Yes!' she said, i, nor do I now exactly I certainly have kissed nobody on the lawn, if that is really what you want to know, Elfride'

'You know nothing about such a performance?'