Part 34 (1/2)

She set her hands upon his shoulders, and lance of the maid who, out of trust, is fearless in her surrender:

”Throughout my life I shall thank God that you have dared it,” she e reply he dee to be that since Jocelyn had lacked the courage to woo boldly, she was glad that he had sent an ambassador less timid

A pause followed, and for a spell they sat silent, he thinking of how to frame his next words; she happy and content to sit beside hieness of his wooing, which was like unto no wooing her romancer's tales had told her of, but then she reflected how unlike he was to other men, and therein she saw the explanation

”I wish,” he ht be mine to boldly sue your hand from your father, but it may not be Even had events not fallen out as they have done, it had been difficult; as it is, it is i was obscure, and when he spoke of suing for her hand fro that he would have sued it for his son

”I have no father,” she replied ”This very day have I disowned hi the inquiry hich his eyes were of a sudden charged: ”Would you have me own a thief, a murderer, my father?” she demanded, with a fierceness of defiant shame

”You know, then?” he ejaculated

”Yes,” she answered sorrowfully, ”I know all there is to be known I learnt it all thisAll day have I pondered it in ha to London to my mother's sister You are very opportunely colistening in her eyes ”You co--nay, when already I had despaired”

Sir Crispin was no longer puzzled by the readiness of her acquiescence

Here was the explanation of it Forced by the honesty of her pure soul to abandon the house of a father she knew at last for what he was, the refuge Crispin now offered her was very welcoh, and timely indeed was his offer of the reat pity filled his heart She was selling herself, he thought; accepting the proposal which, on his son's behalf, he made, and from which at any other season, he feared, she would have shrunk in detestation

That pity was reflected on his countenance now, and noting its soleht, despite herself

He did not ask her why she laughed, he did not notice it; his thoughts were busy already upon another matter

When next he spoke, it was to describe to her the hollow of the road where on the night of his departure fro from his horse She knew the spot, she told hi day she would come to him Her woman must accompany her, and for all that he feared such an addition to the party ainsay her resolution Her uncle, he learnt froo for London For her father she would leave a letter, and in thisno indication of the direction of her journey

In all he said, now that ed he was calm, practical, and unloverlike, and for all that she would he had been less self-possessed, her faith in him caused her, upon reflection, even to admire this which she conceived to be restraint Yet, when at parting he did no more than courteously bend before her, and kiss her hand as any siht have done, she was all but vexed, and not to be outdone in coldness, she grew frigid But it was lost upon him He had not a lover's discern change upon his mistress's face

They parted thus, and into the heart of Mistress Cynthia there crept that night a doubt that banished sleep Was she wise in entrusting herself so utterly to a man of whom she knew but little, and that learnt froood? But scarcely was it because of that that doubts assailed her Rather was it because of his cool deliberateness which argued not the great love ith she fain would fancy him inspired

For consolation she recalled a line that had it great fires were soon burnt out, and she sought to reassure herself that the flaht and steadfastly until the end of life And so she fell asleep, betwixt hope and fear, yet no longer with any hesitancy touching theshe took her woman into her confidence, and scared her with it out of what little sense the creature owned Yet to such purpose did she talk, that when that evening, as Crispin waited by the coach he had taken, in the hollow of the road, he saw approaching hied dame with a valise This was Cynthia's wo, reeted her warmly--affectionately almost yet with none of the rapture to which she held herself entitled as some little recompense for all that on his behalf she left behind

Urbanely he handed her into the coach, and, after her, her wo that he made shi+ft to close the door:

”How is this?” she cried ”Do you not ride with us?”

He pointed to a saddled horse standing by the roadside, and which she had not noticed

”It will be better so You will be at e without hter and the swifter, and speed will prove our best friend”