This gave me little comfort, but at length one morning when I least expected him, Cornelius suddenly called to see me, and to give me, with the consent of Mrs. Gray, my long-promised walk. He kissed me carelessly; his face looked worn; his way of speaking was short and dissatisfied. As we left Mrs. Gray's house and turned round the square, he asked where I wished to go, in a way that implied that, on taking me out for this walk, he rather thought to get rid of it than to please either himself or me. I replied timidly, that I did not care where we went. "Are you getting shy with me?" he asked, giving me a keen and surprised look. I answered "No," with a consciousness that I should have said yes. Cornelius looked at me again, but did not speak until we had for some time walked on in silence. He then observed abruptly-- "How do you like being at Mrs. Gray's?" "Pretty well." "Viz. not much." "I do not complain, Cornelius, she is very kind." "And she gives you a very good character, and I have assured her she told me nothing new." He had laid his hand on my shoulder, and he looked into my face with all the kindness of old times. I replied in a low tone-- "It was very kind of you, Cornelius, to say so." "I only said what I thought; you need not thank me for it." He spoke impatiently; I did not reply, and there was another long pause. "Are you tired?" at length asked Cornelius, who was leading me through streets and bye places of which I knew nothing. "A little." "And there is not even a shop where I could make you rest; why did not you say so sooner?" "I did not like to delay you." "The next thing will be, that you will call me Mr. O'Reilly. Well, it is your own fault, and you will have to walk further before you rest, for I am taking you into the country." We walked on until the houses grew thinner and began to skirt green fields. The sun was hot, and I found it pleasant to enter a cool and shady lane. There was a bank on which I could have rested, but Cornelius seemed to have forgotten my fatigue; he walked on, looking so abstracted that I did not dare to address him. At length we reached the corner of the lane, and turned into one so exactly like that leading to our old home, that I stopped short. "Come on," coolly said Cornelius. I did go on; every step showed me I had not been deceived; I recognized the hedges, the trees, with a beating heart. At length we came to the door I knew so well. Cornelius opened it with a latch-key, and without giving me a look, led me in. We crossed the garden, passed by the sun- dial, stept in beneath the ivied porch, and entered the front parlour, where, by the window, in the cool shade of green Venetian blinds, Kate sat sewing. CHAPTER XVIII. I felt like one in a dream. Cornelius had dropped my hand; I stood at the door silent, motionless, not knowing whether I was to come forward or not, when Kate laid down her work and looked up.