Athalie

"I made a mistake in allowing you to go home," said the girl, "so I

thought it best for Mr. Bailey to remain."

"Sure I was that worritted," burst out Mrs. Connor, "I was minded to

come back--what with all the thramps and Dagoes hereabout, and no dog

on the place, and you alone; so I sez to my man Cornelius,--'Neil,'

sez I, 'it's not right,' sez I, 'f'r to be lavin' th' young lady--'"

"Certainly," interrupted Clive quietly, "and you and Neil are to sleep

in the house hereafter until Miss Greensleeve's servants arrive."

"I'm not afraid," murmured Athalie, looking at him with lazy amusement

over the big, juicy peach she was preparing. But when Mrs. Connor

retired her expression changed.

"You dear fellow," she said, "You need not ever be worried about me."

"I'm not, Athalie--"

"Oh, Clive! Aren't you always going to be honest with me?"

"Why do you think I am anxious concerning you when Connor and his

wife--"

"Dearest!"

"What?" He looked across at her where she was serenely preparing his

coffee; and when she had handed the cup to him she shook her head,

gravely, as though in gentle disapproval of some inward thought of

his.

"What is it?" he asked uneasily.

"You know already."

"What is it?" he repeated, reddening.

"Must I tell you, Clive?"

"I think you had better."

"You should have told me, dear.... Don't ever fear to tell me

what concerns us both. Don't think that leaving me in ignorance of

unpleasant facts is any kindness to me. If anything happens to cause

you anxiety, I should feel humiliated if you were left to endure it

all alone."

[Illustration: "'Sure I was that worritted,' burst out Mrs. Connor."] He remained silent, troubled, uncertain as yet, how much she knew of

what had happened in the garden the night before.

"Clive, dear, don't let this thing spoil anything for us. I know about

it. Don't let any shadow fall upon this house of ours."

"You saw me last night in the garden."

Between diffidence and the candour that characterised her, she

hesitated; then: "Dear, a very strange thing has happened. Until last night never in

all my life, try as I might, could I ever 'see clearly' anything that

concerned you. Never have I been able to 'find' you anywhere--even

when my need was desperate--when my heart seemed breaking--"