"No, my dear," replied Mrs. Davenant. "I think you only show a naturally affectionate heart. You have never been from home before." "Never," said Una. "Never out of the woods." "My poor child. No, I do not think you ungrateful. I like to see that you feel leaving home so much. For you will come, will you not? I shall be disappointed and grieved if you do not, now that I have seen you." "Now that you have seen me," said Una. "Yes, my dear. For I am sure that I shall love you, and I hope that you will grow fond of me." "Do you?" said Una, musingly. "Yes," she said, after a pause, "I shall love you." "Will you kiss me, my dear," she said; and Una bent and kissed her. "And now that you think--that you are sure you will like me--you will come," said Mrs. Davenant. Una looked before her thoughtfully, almost dreamily, for a moment, then replied: "Yes, my father wishes me to go. Why does he wish me to go into the world he hates and fears so much? It was only the other day that he warned me against wishing for it, and told me that I should never be happy if I left Warden. Why has he changed so suddenly?" "I--I think it must have been Stephen who persuaded him. I heard them talking together." "Stephen--that is your son," said Una. "Yes, he is my son; he is very good and clever--so very clever! He has been a most affectionate son to me, and has never caused me a day's uneasiness." "All sons are not so?" she asked. "No, indeed," responded Mrs. Davenant. "Is he ill?" asked Una, after a pause. "Ill!" "Because he is so pale," she said. "Yes, Stephen is pale. It is because he thinks and reads so much, and then he is in great trouble now; his uncle died three days ago." "Is that why he is dressed in black--and you, too? I am very sorry." "Thank you, my dear," said Mrs. Davenant, "that was very nice of you to say that. I can see you have a kind heart. Yes, his uncle is just dead, Mr. Ralph Davenant--Squire Davenant. Why did you start?"--for Una had started and turned to her with a sudden flash of intense interest in her eyes--"did you know him? Ah, no, you could not, if you have not been out of the forest--how strange it seems!--but you have heard of him, perhaps?" "Yes, I have heard of him." At that moment the door opened, and Stephen and Gideon Rolfe came out. The usual smile sat upon Stephen's face, in strange contrast to the stern, set look on his companion's. Raising his hat to Mrs. Davenant as he approached, Gideon put his hand on Una's shoulder. "Go indoors, Una, to your mother," he said quietly. Una rose, and after a momentary glance at each of their faces, went inside. Stephen opened and held the door for her, then closed it and came back to the others. "Mother," he said, "Mr. Rolfe and I have made our arrangements, and he agrees with me that it would be wiser, now that the news is broken to Miss Rolfe, for her to accompany you back to town this afternoon." Mrs. Davenant nodded, and glanced timidly at Gideon's stern face.