'No, dear, you must not excuse me,' was the truthful answer. 'I bore my trouble badly, and made every one round me wretched; and now all these coals of fire are heaped upon me. If he had been my brother, he could not have borne with me more gently. Oh,' cried the lad, earnestly, 'it is something to see into the depths of a good man's heart. I think I saw more than he meant me to do, but time will prove. One thing is certain, that he never loved you as I do, Polly.' 'No; it was all a strange mistake,' she returned, blushing and smiling; 'but hush! here comes Aunt Milly.' 'Am I interrupting you?' asked Mildred, a little surprised at Polly's anxious start. She had moved a little away from Roy; but now he stretched out his hand to detain her. 'No, don't go, Aunt Milly,' and a gleam of mischief shot from his blue eyes. 'Polly has only been telling me a new version of the old song--"It is well to be off with the old love before you are on with the new." After all, Polly has found out that she likes me best.' 'Children, what do you mean?' returned Mildred, somewhat sternly. Polly and even Roy were awed by the change in her manner; a sort of spasm crossed her face, and then the features became almost rigid. 'Aunt Milly, don't be angry with us,' faltered Polly; and her breast heaved a little. Did this dearest and gentlest creature, who had stood her in the stead of mother, think she was wrong? 'Listen to me, dear; I would have married Heriot, but he would not let me; he showed me what was the truth--that my heart was more Roy's than his, and then he brought us together; it is all his doing, not Roy's.' 'Yes, it was all my doing,' repeated Dr. Heriot, who had followed Mildred in unperceived. 'Did I not tell you last night that Polly and I never understood each other so well;' and he put his arm round the girl with almost fatherly fondness, as he led her to Mildred. 'You must blame me, and not this poor child, for all that has happened.' But the colour did not return to Mildred's face; she seemed utterly bewildered. Dr. Heriot wore his inscrutable expression; he looked grave, but not otherwise unhappy. 'I suppose it is all for the best,' she said, somewhat unsteadily. 'I had hoped that Polly would have been a comfort to you, but it seems you--you are never to have that.' 'It will come to me in time,' he returned, with a strange smile; 'at least, I hope so.' 'Come here, Aunt Milly,' interrupted Roy; and as Mildred stooped over her boy he looked up in her face with the old Rex-like smile. 'Dr. Heriot says I should never have lived if it had not been for you, Aunt Milly. You have given me back my life, and he has given me Polly, and,' cried the lad, and now his lips quivered, 'God bless you both.' CHAPTER XXXII A TALK IN FAIRLIGHT GLEN