‘What a funny girl you are, to want to run away from home in so secret a manner. Is it because of Ilfracombe’s vicinity? Are you afraid he will be jealous? It would be very unjust if he were. A regular dog-in-the-manger sort of business.’ ‘No! you are quite mistaken. I am afraid of no one and nothing. I am my own mistress, and free to do as I choose. It is my fad to have things as I say. But let us sit down here for a minute, whilst we decide exactly what we intend to do.’ She took a seat upon a grassy bank as she spoke, and drew a packet of letters from her pocket. Jack Portland sat down beside her, and regarded them ruefully. ‘There go all my hopes of making any more money out of that muff Ilfracombe. Nell, you ought to think I value you very highly to have struck such a bargain with you as I have.’ ‘Do you think so?’ she rejoined. ‘Well, I prophecy, Mr Portland, that a day will come when you will look back and bless me for having had the courage to buy these letters from you, at whatever cost--a day when you will regard the life you have led hitherto with loathing and abhorrence, and scorn to do a dishonourable act. A day when you will thank heaven that you are an honest man, and live by honest work alone.’ ‘I am afraid that day is in the clouds, Nell, that is, if you call play dishonest, for I should never live to see it without.’ ‘I am not so sure of that. There must be something better in your nature than you have discovered yet, or you would not have offered to make a ruined woman like myself your wife.’ ‘Let us hope there is, for your sake. Now, as for our plans!’ ‘These are foolish Lady Ilfracombe’s letters,’ said Nell, handling the packet, ‘and here is your affirmation that there are no more in your possession. Did you make the appointment with her in the meadow for this afternoon at five o’clock?’ ‘Yes; I wrote her a note to say I had received the packet from London, and would deliver it to her, without fail, at that hour.’ ‘She has good reason to doubt the truth of your promise, but to see you in the meadow will not be compromising, so she will keep the appointment, and I shall be there to meet her. You will not expect to see me at “The Three Pilchards” before nine.’ ‘Can’t you come earlier?’ ‘Not without exciting the suspicions of my parents, and making my mother resolve to sit up to let me in again. It will be better as I say. At nine o’clock, or a little after, I shall be there. I hope the registrar will not blab the news of our marriage through Usk before that time.’ ‘I think not. I pledged him to secrecy with a golden tip. But to-morrow everyone must know it, both at Usk Hall and Panty-cuckoo Farm.’ ‘Oh, yes; certainly! To-morrow everyone must know it,’ replied Nell, in the same impassive tone; ‘and now we had better think of going back, Mr Portland.’ ‘Not “Mr Portland” now, Nell, surely!’ said her companion. ‘You must call me “Jack.”’ ‘“Jack!”’ repeated the girl, as if she were saying a lesson.