“Yes, rest, my darling,” said Lord Court, as he followed her; “this news has been too much for you. But, before you go, tell your cousin that if he departs, it will be at the risk of your grave displeasure.” Stuart had risen, and their eyes met. “You will stay,” she said, faintly; and then the door closed, and she was gone. CHAPTER XXVII. Should he go or stay? was the burning question in Stuart’s mind all that morning. Duty and honor bade him tear himself away; yet there was something mysterious and altogether apart from the inthrallment of Margery’s presence that kept him. He spent the long hours walking about the grounds with the earl, forcing himself to discuss the all-important subject of Margery’s birth the while he was growing faint and weary with the struggle that raged within him. The surprise, the sleepless night, the agitation at last began to tell; and, as the afternoon advanced, Stuart was obliged to confess that he was quite exhausted and could walk no farther. The earl was full of contrition for his thoughtlessness. “Come back to the house. Would you prefer to go to your own room? If not, rest in my ‘den.’ I can answer for its silence and coziness.” Stuart preferred the “den;” the mystery of the previous night haunted him--he hated the thought of his luxurious bedroom. The earl led the way to the north wing of the house, and, going to the extreme end of a corridor, pushed open the door of an apartment that seemed to warrant his statement. It was three-cornered and quaint, and at the end branched off into another room, which led through a long French window to the grounds. Lord Court closed the door between the two rooms, and, pushing a chair to the fire, made his guest comfortable, handing him at the same time the batch of newspapers that had just arrived from London. “Now you are settled,” he said, genially. “You look as if sleep would not come amiss; and, such being the case, I shall have no hesitation in leaving you. I must drive to Beverley Town, a good distance away; I have an important interview on hand with a troublesome tenant. I shall be back, however, before dinner. Are you sure you won’t be bored?” Stuart replied in the negative, and, after seeing him cozily ensconced, Lord Court quitted the room, and made his way to the stables.