Lady Constantine crossed the field and the park beyond, and found on

passing the church that the congregation was still within. There was no

hurry for getting indoors, the open windows enabling her to hear that Mr.

Torkingham had only just given out his text. So instead of entering the

house she went through the garden-door to the old bowling-green, and sat

down in the arbour that Louis had occupied when he overheard the

interview between Swithin and the Bishop. Not until then did she find

courage to draw out the letter and papers relating to the bequest, which

Swithin in a critical moment had handed to her.

Had he been ever so little older he would not have placed that

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unconsidered confidence in Viviette which had led him to give way to her

curiosity. But the influence over him which eight or nine outnumbering

years lent her was immensely increased by her higher position and wider

experiences, and he had yielded the point, as he yielded all social

points; while the same conditions exempted him from any deep

consciousness that it was his duty to protect her even from herself.

The preamble of Dr. St. Cleeve's letter, in which he referred to his

pleasure at hearing of the young man's promise as an astronomer,

disturbed her not at all--indeed, somewhat prepossessed her in favour of

the old gentleman who had written it. The first item of what he called

'unfavourable news,' namely, the allusion to the inadequacy of Swithin's

income to the wants of a scientific man, whose lines of work were not

calculated to produce pecuniary emolument for many years, deepened the

cast of her face to concern. She reached the second item of the

so-called unfavourable news; and her face flushed as she read how the

doctor had learnt 'that there was something in your path worse than

narrow means, and that something is a woman.' 'To save you, if possible, from ruin on these heads,' she read on, 'I take the preventive measures entailed below.' And then followed the announcement of the 600 pounds a year settled on

the youth for life, on the single condition that he remained unmarried

till the age of twenty-five--just as Swithin had explained to her. She

next learnt that the bequest was for a definite object--that he might

have resources sufficient to enable him to travel in an inexpensive way,

and begin a study of the southern constellations, which, according to the

shrewd old man's judgment, were a mine not so thoroughly worked as the

northern, and therefore to be recommended. This was followed by some

sentences which hit her in the face like a switch:-'The only other preventive step in my power is that of exhortation. . .




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