"Yes, my child," said Garstang, taking one of Kate's hands, and raising it tenderly to his lips, "your uncle is right. I have no place here, no right to protect you, and I must go, trusting that good may come out of evil, and that what has passed, besides opening your eyes to what is a thorough conspiracy, will give you firmness to protect yourself, and teach them that such a project as theirs is an infamy." "Don't stand preaching there, man. Your time's nearly up. Go, before you are made. Come here to your aunt, Kate." "No, my dear, do nothing of the sort," said Garstang, gently, as she slowly raised her head and gazed imploringly in his face. "You are but a girl, but you must play the woman now--the firm, strong woman who has to protect herself. Go up to your room and insist upon staying there until you have a guarantee that this insolent cub, who is lying here pretending to be insensible, shall cease his pretensions or be sent away. There, go, and heaven protect you; I can do no more." Kate drew herself up erect and gazed at him mournfully for a few moments, and then said firmly: "Yes, Mr Garstang, I will do as you say. Good-bye." "Good-bye," he said, as he bent down and softly kissed her forehead. Then she walked firmly from the room. "Brave girl!" said Garstang; "she will be a match for you and your plans now, James Wilton." "Will you go, sir?" roared the other. "Yes, I will go. Then it is to be war between us, is it?" "What you like; I'm reckless now; but you can't interfere with me there." "No, and I will not trample upon a worm when it is down. I shall take no petty revenge, and you dare not persecute that poor girl. Good-bye to you both, and may this be a lesson to you and your foolish wife. As for you, you cur, if I hear that you have insulted your cousin again--a girl that any one with the slightest pretension to being a man would have looked upon as a sister--law or no law, I'll come down and thrash you within an inch of your life. I'm a strong man yet, as you know." He turned and walked proudly out of the room; and as soon as his step had ceased to ring on the oaken floor of the hall Wilton turned savagely upon his son, where he lay upon the thick Turkey carpet, and roared: "Get up!" Mrs Wilton shrieked and caught at her husband's leg, but in vain, for he delivered a tremendous kick at the prostrate youth, which brought him to his senses with a yell. "What are you doing?" he roared. "A hundred and fifty thousand pounds!" cried Wilton. "Curse you, I should like to give you a hundred and fifty thousand of those." Within half an hour the dog-cart bearing John Garstang and his portmanteau was grating over the gravel of the drive, and as he passed the further wing he looked up at an open window where Kate was standing pale and still. He raised his hat to her as he passed, but she did not stir, only said farewell to him with her eyes.