She did not come into the drawing-room before breakfast; and at that irregularly conducted meal she sat again by Mr. Kingston's side, the whole table's length from him. But glancing round her as she took her seat, she met his fixed gaze, and bowed with a subtle, wistful impressiveness that reassured him completely as to the state of her mind towards him, let her outward actions be what they might. It was very tantalising; all his habitual calmness was upset; his very hand trembled as he took his coffee from Lucilla, and once when his gentle hostess spoke to him, he did not hear her. The fret of this state of things, it is needless to say, chafed his incipient passion into flame; and the flame was kept up thereafter, at a more or less fierce heat and brightness, by the winds of adversity that ought to--and in nine cases out of ten would--have put it out. After breakfast the company began to disperse in a desultory manner by installments. Some of the guests lingered until the afternoon; some until the next day. The Digbys were the first to leave--partly because they had so far to go, partly because Mrs. Digby was anxious about her children--and of course Mr. Dalrymple had to go with them. He hunted in vain for Rachel when the breakfast party broke up. She _knew_ he was hunting for her, and she longed to go to him, and therefore as a matter of course, she hid herself. Only at the last moment, as he was about to ride gloomily away, she appeared on the threshold of one of the inferior front doors, pale and shrinking, but desperate with vague despair--thinking to solace herself with one more glimpse of him when he would not know she was looking. But he saw her in a moment, flung himself from Lucifer's back, and caught her before she could steal away again. It was not the sort of farewell he had hoped for--several of the ladies came straggling about them before they could exchange half a dozen words--but it was infinitely better than none. "Are you going to Queensland?" Rachel asked, in a tone which said plainly--"Are you going away from me?" "I must go," he replied; "but I shall not stay--I shall come back as quickly as possible. And you--what will you do?" She flushed scarlet and dropped her eyes, and her lips began to quiver. The rustle of Mrs. Hardy's majestic skirts was heard approaching. It was too late for confidences. "I hope, when I come back, I shall find you free," he whispered hurriedly, emphasising the significance of the words with the crushing clasp of his hand over hers and the eager desire in his eyes; and then he took off his cap, included all the ladies in one last silent adieu, remounted his horse, and departed.