She acted on this impulse; but by the time she had finished her simple toilet, reason had come to check impulse, and prudence to warn her that she must not seek an interview with her lover, and, furthermore, that she must not even risk an accidental meeting with Ronald Bruce if she would avoid giving new cause of offence. So, instead of hastening down to the breakfast-room, Em. seated herself at her chamber window with a piece of needlework in her hand and sewed until the breakfast bell rang, and then, to make sure of not meeting Ronald alone, she waited five minutes after the bell had stopped ringing, for she concluded that it would be better that she should be a little late at the table than that she should give umbrage by a _tête-à-tête_ with Ronald. She went leisurely downstairs and entered the breakfast-room, expecting to find all the family at the table. She found no one present except Ronald Bruce, who stood on the rug with his back to the fire impatiently waiting for her. “Em.!” he exclaimed, stepping forward and taking her hand, “I have been here half an hour, hoping you would be down early, perhaps earlier than usual, because we could not see each other last night. Why are you so late?” he inquired reproachfully. “I am not late, Ronald. None of the family except yourself have yet come down. But, oh, Ronald! please do not plan to see me alone. Your having done so has already caused trouble. That was the reason why at lunch yesterday the ladies treated me so coldly——” “Impertinently, insolently, _I_ call it! I saw it all, Em., and my blood boiled! But what can a man do with such women, except to avoid them?” “But they were kinder to me at dinner,” said Em. apologetically. “‘Kinder!’ They behaved towards you with proper politeness, that was all, and I know to whose power that must be attributed! The old commodore had ‘put his foot down’ to that effect, I feel sure. But, Em., I could not join those women in the drawing-room last night, when I felt that I should not be able to play the hypocrite and treat Miss Warde or her mother with the respect I could not feel for them, with the respect a man should always, and under all circumstances, show women. So to avoid them I absented myself from the drawing-room. I went up to my chamber, locked myself in, hated all my fellow-creatures except you, Em., and read satires in the original Greek all the evening.” “And so that was the reason why you did not come to bid—any of us—good-night,” said Em. “That, yes, that was one reason why I did not come to bide—_any of you_—good-night. But that was not the only reason. I was making up my mind and coming to a conclusion that I shall act upon to-day.” “Oh, Ronald!” exclaimed Em., startled by his expression, “I hope you will never do or say anything to distress your good old uncle! His past life has been so full of trouble. His remaining days are few. Let them at least be filled with peace.”