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him。'
De Stancy's bare military ears and closely cropped poll
flushed hot。 'Miss Power and him？'
'I don't mean to say there is； because Paula denies it； but I
mean that he loves Paula。 That I do know。'
De Stancy was dumb。 This item of news which Dare had kept
from him； not knowing how far De Stancy's sense of honour
might extend； was decidedly grave。 Indeed； he was so greatly
impressed with the fact； that he could not help saying as much
aloud： 'This is very serious！'
'Why！' she murmured tremblingly； for the first leaking out of
her tender and sworn secret had disabled her quite。
'Because I love Paula too。'
'What do you say； William； you？a woman you have never seen？'
'I have seen herby accident。 And now； my dear little sis；
you will be my close ally； won't you？ as I will be yours； as
brother and sister should be。' He placed his arm coaxingly
round Charlotte's shoulder。
'O； William； how can I？' at last she stammered。
'Why； how can't you； I should say？ We are both in the same
ship。 I love Paula； you love Mr。 Somerset； it behoves both of
us to see that this flirtation of theirs ends in nothing。'
'I don't like you to put it like thatthat I love himit
frightens me；' murmured the girl； visibly agitated。 'I don't
want to divide him from Paula； I couldn't； I wouldn't do
anything to separate them。 Believe me； Will； I could not！ I
am sorry you love there also； though I should be glad if it
happened in the natural order of events that she should come
round to you。 But I cannot do anything to part them and make
Mr。 Somerset suffer。 It would be TOO wrong and blamable。'
'Now； you silly Charlotte； that's just how you women fly off
at a tangent。 I mean nothing dishonourable in the least。
Have I ever prompted you to do anything dishonourable？ Fair
fighting allies was all I thought of。'
Miss De Stancy breathed more freely。 'Yes； we will be that；
of course； we are always that； William。 But I hope I can be
your ally； and be quite neutral； I would so much rather。'
'Well； I suppose it will not be a breach of your precious
neutrality if you get me invited to see the castle？'
'O no！' she said brightly； 'I don't mind doing such a thing as
that。 Why not come with me tomorrow？ I will say I am going
to bring you。 There will be no trouble at all。'
De Stancy readily agreed。 The effect upon him of the
information now acquired was to intensify his ardour tenfold；
the stimulus being due to a perception that Somerset； with a
little more knowledge； would hold a card which could be played
with disastrous effect against himselfhis relationship to
Dare。 Its disclosure to a lady of such Puritan antecedents as
Paula's； would probably mean her immediate severance from
himself as an unclean thing。
'Is Miss Power a severe pietist； or precisian； or is she a
compromising lady？' he asked abruptly。
'She is severe and uncompromisingif you mean in her
judgments on morals；' said Charlotte； not quite hearing。 The
remark was peculiarly apposite； and De Stancy was silent。
He spent some following hours in a close study of the castle
history； which till now had unutterably bored him。 More
particularly did he dwell over documents and notes which
referred to the pedigree of his own family。 He wrote out the
names of alland they were manywho had been born within
those domineering walls since their first erection； of those
among them who had been brought thither by marriage with the
owner； and of stranger knights and gentlemen who had entered
the castle by marriage with its mistress。 He refreshed his
memory on the strange loves and hates that had arisen in the
course of the family history； on memorable attacks； and the
dates of the same； the most memorable among them being the
occasion on which the party represented by Paula battered down
the castle walls that she was now about to mend； and； as he
hoped； return in their original intact shape to the family
dispossessed； by marriage with himself； its living
representative。
In Sir William's villa were small engravings after many of the
portraits in the castle galleries； some of them hanging in the
dining…room in plain oak and maple frames； and others
preserved in portfolios。 De Stancy spent much of his time
over these； and in getting up the romances of their originals'
lives from memoirs and other records； all which stories were
as great novelties to him as they could possibly be to any
stranger。 Most interesting to him was the life of an Edward
De Stancy； who had lived just before the Civil Wars； and to
whom Captain De Stancy bore a very traceable likeness。 This
ancestor had a mole on his cheek； black and distinct as a fly
in cream； and as in the case of the first Lord Amherst's wart；
and Bennet Earl of Arlington's nose…scar； the painter had
faithfully reproduced the defect on canvas。 It so happened
that the captain had a mole； though not exactly on the same
spot of his face； and this made the resemblance still greater。
He took infinite trouble with his dress that day； showing an
amount of anxiety on the matter which for him was quite
abnormal。 At last； when fully equipped； he set out with his
sister to make the call proposed。 Charlotte was rather
unhappy at sight of her brother's earnest attempt to make an
impression on Paula； but she could say nothing against it； and
they proceeded on their way。
It was the darkest of November weather； when the days are so
short that morning seems to join with evening without the
intervention of noon。 The sky was lined with low cloud；
within whose dense substance tempests were slowly fermenting
for the coming days。 Even now a windy turbulence troubled the
half…naked boughs； and a lonely leaf would occasionally spin
downwards to rejoin on the grass the scathed multitude of its
comrades which had preceded it in its fall。 The river by the
pavilion； in the summer so clear and purling； now slid onwards
brown and thick and silent； and enlarged to double size。
II。
Meanwhile Paula was alone。 Of anyone else it would have been
said that she must be finding the afternoon rather dreary in
the quaint halls not of her forefathers： but of Miss Power it
was unsafe to predicate so surely。 She walked from room to
room in a black velvet dress which gave decision to her
outline without depriving it of softness。 She occasionally
clasped her hands behind her head and looked out of a window；
but she more particularly bent her footsteps up and down the
Long Gallery； where she had caused a large fire of logs to be
kindled； in her endeavour to extend cheerfulness somewhat
beyond the precincts of the sitting…rooms。
The fire glanced up on Paula； and Paula glanced down at the
fire； and at the gnarled beech fuel； and at the wood…lice
which ran out from beneath the bark to the extremity of the
logs as the heat approached them。 The low…down ruddy light
spread over the dark floor like the setting sun over a moor；
fluttering on the grotesque countenances of the bright
andirons； and touching all the furniture on the underside。
She now and then crossed to one of the deep embrasures of the
windows； to decipher some sentence fro