"And one of those Miss Blakes! Oh dear! what would Godfrey have said? Oh, Percival, he never meant this!" She had her hand to her forehead as she spoke. "No," said Percival. "But don't fret about me: I shall do very well." "But it isn't right. Oh, I don't know what to say or think, I am so bewildered. Perhaps Horace has hardly had time to think yet, has he?" she said faintly. "He will do something, I'm sure--" "He mustn't--don't let him! I can hold my tongue if I'm let alone. But if he insults me--" said Percival. "Aunt Harriet, for God's sake, _don't_ let him offer me money." "Ah!" in an accent of pain. "But my money! Percival, do you want any? It's a good thing, as _he_ said, that Mr. Lisle didn't fail before you came into yours, but if you want any--" "But I don't," said Percival. "As you say, it's a good thing I have some of my own." He had his fingers in his waistcoat pocket, and was wondering which of the coins that he felt there would prove to be gold. It was an important question. "Don't vex yourself about me, Aunt Harriet. Kiss me and say good-bye: there isn't much time, is there? Tell Sissy--" he stopped abruptly. "What?" said the old lady. "Tell her--I don't know. You'll let me hear how she is. You've been very good to me, Aunt Harriet. It's best as it is about Sissy, isn't it, seeing how things have turned out?" He caught up his luggage and went quickly out, but only to turn and pause irresolutely in the doorway. "I'll not say anything about Horace: we are best apart. But Lottie! I liked Lottie: we were very good friends when she was a school-girl. She is very young still. Perhaps she didn't understand. I ought to say this, because you never knew her, and I did." And having said it, he went away with a light on his sombre face. Mrs. Middleton looked up at Hammond with streaming eyes and shook her head: "I shall never like that girl: I shall never have anything to do with her. Godfrey was right." "In what way?" "Percival was his favorite always." "I'll look after him," said Hammond; and with a quick pressure of her hand he followed the young man down stairs. As they drove away Percival sat erect and grave, with a face as darkly still as if it were moulded in bronze. He went away from the dear old house without one backward glance: Horace might be looking out. He never spoke, and when they reached the station he took his ticket and got into the carriage without the least reference to Hammond, who followed him quietly. There was no one else with them. The silence was unbroken till they drew near their journey's end, when Thorne took out his ticket and examined it curiously. "I wonder if I shall ever see another?" he said. "Another what?" "First-class ticket. I ought to have gone third." "You get an opportunity of studying character, no doubt. But I think this is better to-day," said Hammond.