When Lady Constantine awoke the next morning Swithin was nowhere to be

seen. Before she was quite ready for breakfast she heard the key turn in

the door, and felt startled, till she remembered that the comer could

hardly be anybody but he. He brought a basket with provisions, an extra

cup-and-saucer, and so on. In a short space of time the kettle began

singing on the stove, and the morning meal was ready.

The sweet resinous air from the firs blew in upon them as they sat at

breakfast; the birds hopped round the door (which, somewhat riskily, they

ventured to keep open); and at their elbow rose the lank column into an

upper realm of sunlight, which only reached the cabin in fitful darts and

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flashes through the trees.

'I could be happy here for ever,' said she, clasping his hand. 'I wish I

could never see my great gloomy house again, since I am not rich enough

to throw it open, and live there as I ought to do. Poverty of this sort

is not unpleasant at any rate. What are you thinking of?' 'I am thinking about my outing this morning. On reaching my grandmother's she was only a little surprised to see me. I was obliged

to breakfast there, or appear to do so, to divert suspicion; and this

food is supposed to be wanted for my dinner and supper. There will of

course be no difficulty in my obtaining an ample supply for any length of

time, as I can take what I like from the buttery without observation.

But as I looked in my grandmother's face this morning, and saw her looking

affectionately in mine, and thought how she had never concealed anything

from me, and had always had my welfare at heart, I felt--that I should

like to tell her what we have done.' 'O no,--please not, Swithin!' she exclaimed piteously.

'Very well,' he answered. 'On no consideration will I do so without your

consent.' And no more was said on the matter.

The morning was passed in applying wet rag and other remedies to the

purple line on Viviette's cheek; and in the afternoon they set up the

equatorial under the replaced dome, to have it in order for night

observations.

The evening was clear, dry, and remarkably cold by comparison with the

daytime weather. After a frugal supper they replenished the stove with

charcoal from the homestead, which they also burnt during the day,--an

idea of Viviette's, that the smoke from a wood fire might not be seen

more frequently than was consistent with the occasional occupation of the

cabin by Swithin, as heretofore.




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