"The squire ordered it early, that I might be in the saddle betimes," explained Evatt, and then as the girl started toward the house, he checked the movement by taking her hand. "Miss Janice," he said, "in a half-hour I shall ride away--not because 't is my wish, but because I'm engaged in an important and perilous mission--a mission--can ye keep a secret--even from--from your father and mother?" Janice was too young and inexperienced to know that a secret is of all things the most to be avoided, and though her little hand, in her woman's intuition that all was not right, tried feebly to free itself, she none the less answered eagerly if half-doubtfully, "Yes." "I am sent here under an assumed name--by His Majesty. Ye--I was indiscreet enough with ye, to tell--to show that I was other than what I pretend to be, but I felt then and now that I could trust ye. Ye will keep secret all I say?" Again Janice, with her eyes on the ground, said, "Yes." "I must do the king's work, and when 't is done I return to England and resume my true position, and ye will never again hear of me--unless--" The man paused, with his eyes fixed on the downcast face of the girl. "Unless?" asked Janice, when the silence became more embarrassing than to speak. "Unless ye--unless ye give me the hope that by first returning here--as your father has asked me to do--that I may--may perhaps carry ye away with me. Ah, Miss Janice, 't is an outrage to keep such beauty hidden in the wilds of America, when it might be the glory of the court and the toast of the town." Again a silence ensued, fairly agonising to the bewildered and embarrassed girl, which lengthened, it seemed to her, into hours, as she vainly sought for some words that she might speak. "Please let go my hand," she begged finally. "Not till you give me a yea or nay. "But I can't--I don't--" began Janice, and then as footsteps were heard, she cried, "Oh, let me go! Here comes Charles." "May I come back?" demanded Evatt. "Yes," assented the girl, desperately. "And ye promise to be secret?" "I promise," cried Janice, and to her relief recovered her hand, just as Charles entered the garden. Like many another of her sex, however, she found that to gain physical and temporary freedom she had only enslaved herself the more, for after breakfast Evatt availed himself of a moment's interest of Mrs. Meredith's in the ordering down of his saddle-bags, and of the squire's in the horse, to say to Janice, aside:-- "I gave ye back your hand, Janice, but remember 't is mine," and before the girl could frame a denial, he was beside Mr. Meredith at the stirrup, and, ere many minutes, had ridden away, leaving behind him a very much flattered, puzzled, and miserable demoiselle. VIII SEVERAL BURNING QUESTIONS