Captain Trecarrel was aware that he had behaved badly to Orange, and had incurred her resentment; this made him nervous in her presence, and to hide his discomfort he redoubled his efforts to be agreeable. Finding that no conversation was to be got out of Mirelle, he finally turned his efforts to Orange, and endeavoured to amuse her with his adventures at the little inns on his sketching tour. But still, as he talked, his eyes reverted to the face of Mirelle, and Orange’s life returned in a throb of spleen. She rose in her seat and said sharply, ’We will change places, if you please, Captain Trecarrel.’ ’Hush!’ said he; ’do not disturb her. She sleeps.’ The fresh air puffing in her face, and the warm sun, after the sleepless nights, had operated on the weary brain, and Mirelle had dropped off into unconsciousness. Orange was aware of this without looking round, by the confidence with which the Captain allowed his eyes to rest on her face. Mirelle was breathing gently, and her face had become wonderfully peaceful and deathlike under the influence of sleep. The stray lock wantoned in the air on the pure white brow, but could not wake her. ’Do you really wish to sit with your back to the horses?’ asked Trecarrel in an undertone. ’You will then have the sun in your eyes.’ ’Yes, let us change places.’ Her voice was metallic. ’Then, for the love of Heaven, do not wake her with moving. Stay! here we are at a long hill. I will get out and walk up it to relieve the horses, and then you can change without disturbing Mirelle.’ ’If you are going to walk, I will walk also.’ They both alighted at the bridge over the Walkham, and fell behind the carriage. Trecarrel was uneasy; he feared that Orange was going to speak to him unpleasantly, on an unpleasant subject. ’She is so deficient in breeding,’ said he to himself, ’that she persists in forcing herself and what she regards as her wrongs upon one.’ ’How lovely she is!’ exclaimed the Captain, with want of tact; ’but terribly fragile. She looks as if she were as likely never to wake out of the sleep into which she has fallen, as she is again to unclose her beautiful eyes.’ Orange made no answer. Her heart was beating; the rush of life had returned to her veins. She walked at his side in silence for some little way, then suddenly burst forth with, ’What is the meaning of this, Captain Trecarrel?’ ’The meaning of what, my good Orange? You must be more explicit.’ ’Why is Mirelle returning? How have you succeeded in changing her from her purpose? What inducement have you held out to her to lure her back to hated Welltown?’ ’The highest, the purest of all,’ answered the Captain, with dignity. ’For what is higher and purer than duty?’ Orange looked round at him. ’What do you mean by that?’ she asked harshly. ’Duty—duty to whom?’ ’To self—to conscience. I have pointed out to her obligations she must not cast off.’