'Of course you weren't very fond of him. Who was? Only she, poor young lady. She'll be better now, Mr John, a deal better. He wasn't a wholesome lover,—not like you are. Tell me, Mr John, did you give it him well when you got him? I heard you did;—two black eyes, and all his face one mash of gore!' And Hopkins, who was by no means a young man, stiffly put himself into a fighting attitude.
Eames passed on over the little bridge, which seemed to be in a state of fast decay, unattended to by any friendly carpenter, now that the days of its use were so nearly at an end; and on into the garden, lingering on the spot where he had last said farewell to Lily. He looked about as though he expected still to find her there; but there was no one to be seen in the garden, and no sound to be heard. As every step brought him nearer to her whom he was seeking, he became more and more conscious of the hopelessness of his errand. Him she had never loved, and why should he venture to hope that she would love him now? He would have turned back had he not been aware that his promise to others required that he should persevere. He had said that he would do this thing, and he would be as good as his word. But he hardly ventured to hope that he might be successful. In this frame of mind he slowly made his way up across the lawn.
'My dear, there is John Eames,' said Mrs Dale, who had first seen him from the parlour window.
'Don't go, mamma.'
'I don't know; perhaps it will be better that I should.'
'No, mamma, no; what good can it do? It can do no good. I like him as well as I can like any one. I love him dearly. But it can do no good. Let him come in here, and be very kind to him; but do not go away and leave us. Of course I knew he would come, and I shall be very glad to see him.'
Then Mrs Dale went round to the other room, and admitted her visitor through the window of the drawing-room. 'We are in terrible confusion, John, are we not?
'And so you are really going to live in Guestwick?'
'Well, it looks like it, does it not? But, to tell you a secret,—only it must be a secret; you must not mention it at Guestwick Manor; even Bell does not know;—we have half made up our minds to unpack all our things and stay where we are.'
Eames was so intent on his own purpose, and so fully occupied with the difficulty of the task before him, that he could hardly receive Mrs Dale's tidings with all the interest which they deserved. 'Unpack them all again,' he said. 'That will be very troublesome. Is Lily with you, Mrs Dale?'
'Yes, she is in the parlour. Come and see her.' So he followed Mrs Dale through the hall, and found himself in the presence of his love.
'How do you do, John?' 'How do you do, Lily?' We all know the way in which such meetings are commenced. Each longed to be tender and affectionate to the other,—each in a different way; but neither knew how to throw any tenderness into this first greeting. 'So you're staying at the Manor House,' said Lily.
'Yes; I'm staying there. Your uncle and Bell came yesterday afternoon.'
'Have you heard about Bell?' said Mrs Dale.
'Oh, yes; Mary told me. I'm so glad of it. I always liked Dr Crofts very much. I have not congratulated her, because I didn't know whether it was a secret. But Crofts was there last night, and if it is a secret he didn't seem to be very careful about keeping it.'
'It is no secret,' said Mrs Dale. 'I don't know that I am fond of such secrets.' But as she said this, she thought of Crosbie's engagement, which had been told to every one, and of its consequences.
'Is it to be soon?' he asked.
'Well, yes; we think so. Of course nothing is settled.'
'It was such fun,' said Lily. 'James, who took, at any rate, a year or two to make his proposal, wanted to be married the next day afterwards.'
'No, Lily; not quite that.'
'Well, mamma, it was very nearly that. He thought it could all be done this week. It has made us so happy, John! I don't know anybody I should so much like for a brother. I'm very glad you like him;—very glad. I hope you'll be friends always.' There was some little tenderness in this—as John acknowledged to himself.
'I'm sure we shall,—if he likes it. That is, if I ever happen to see him. I'll do anything for him I can if he ever comes up to London. Wouldn't it be a good thing, Mrs Dale, if he settled himself in London?'
'No, John; it would be a very bad thing. Why should he wish to rob me
