"Oh Frank," she breathed, "I cannot do it! I cannot!" "Cannot!" he exclaimed. "You must! Why, Stella, of what are you afraid? I shall be with you." She shook her head slowly. "It is not that. I am not afraid," and there was a touch of pride in her voice. "Do you think I am afraid of--of Leycester?" "No!" he retorted. "I should think not! I would trust him, if I were in your place, to the end of the world. I know what he has asked you to do, Stel, and you--we--must do it!" Stella looked at him. "And uncle!" The boy colored, but his eyes met hers steadily. "Well, it will not hurt him! He will not mind. He likes Lord Leycester, and when we come back and tell him he will be only too grateful that it is all over without any fuss or trouble. You know that, Stel!" She did know it, but her heart still misgave her. With a touch of color in her pale face at the thought of what "it" meant, she said gently. "He has been a father to me, Frank; ah, you do not know!" "Yes, I do," he said, shortly; "but a husband is more than a father, Stella. And my father won't be any the less fond of you because you are Lady Leycester Wyndward!" "Oh, hush--hush!" breathed Stella, glancing round as if she feared the very shrubs and flowers might hear. Frank threw himself beside her, and laying his hand on her arm, looked up into her beautiful face with eager entreaty. "You will go, Stel; you will do what he asks!" and Stella looked down at him with gentle wonder. Leycester himself could not have pleaded his own cause more earnestly. "Don't you see, Stel?" he said, answering her look, for she had not spoken; "I would do anything for him--anything! He risked his life for me, but it is not only that; it is because he has treated me so--so--well, I can't explain; but I would do anything for him, Stella. I--I love you! you know; but--but I feel as if I should _hate_ you if you refused to do what he asks!" Stella's eyes glistened; it made her heart throb to hear the boy's championship of the man she loved. "Besides," he continued; "why should you hesitate? For it is for your own happiness--for the happiness of us all! Think! you will be the future Countess of Wyndward, the mistress of the Hall." Stella looked at him reproachfully. "Frank!" "Yes, I know you don't care about that, neither do I much, but other people will. My father will be glad--he could not help being so, and then you will be safe." "Safe? What do you mean?" asked Stella. He hesitated. Then he looked up at her with an angry resentful flash in his blue eyes. "Stel! I was thinking of that fellow Adelstone. I don't like him! I hate him, in fact; and I hate him all the more because he has set his mind upon having you." Stella smiled and shook her head. "Oh, of course you can't see any harm in him. It's quite right you shouldn't--you are a girl, and don't know the world; but I know something of men, and I say that Jasper Adelstone is not a man to be trusted."