'Lady Mary is going to be married to Mr. Hammond, by special licence, in this room, to-morrow afternoon, if it can be managed so soon,' said Lady Maulevrier. 'I am very glad to hear it, my lady,' answered Steadman, without the faintest indication of surprise. 'Why are you so--particularly glad?' asked his mistress, looking at him sharply. 'Because Lady Mary's presence in this house is a source of danger to--your arrangements. She is very energetic and enterprising--very shrewd--and--well, she is a woman--so I suppose there can be no harm in saying she is somewhat inquisitive. Things will be much safer here when Lady Mary is gone!' 'But she will not be gone--she is not going away--except for a very brief honeymoon. I cannot possibly do without her. She has become necessary to my life, Steadman; and there is so little left of that life now, that there is no need for me to sacrifice the last gleams of sunshine. The girl is very sweet, and loving, and true. I was not half fond enough of her in the past; but she has made herself very dear to me of late. There are many things in this life, Steadman, which we only find out too late.' 'But, surely, my lady, Lady Mary will leave Fellside to go to a home of her own after her marriage.' 'No, I tell you, Steadman,' his mistress answered, with a touch of impatience; 'Lady Mary and her husband will make this house their home so long as I am here. It will not be long.' 'God grant it may be very long before you cease to be mistress here,' answered Steadman, with real feeling; and then in a lower tone he went on: 'Pardon me, my lady, for the suggestion, but do you think it wise to have Mr. Hammond here as a resident?' 'Why should it not be wise? Mr. Hammond is a gentleman.' 'True, my lady; but any accident, such as that which brought Lady Mary into the old garden----' 'No such accident need occur--it must not occur, Steadman,' exclaimed Lady Maulevrier, with kindling eyes. She who had so long ruled supreme was not inclined to have any desire of hers questioned. 'There must have been gross carelessness that day--carelessness on your part, or that stable door would never have been left open. The key ought to have been in your possession. It ought not to have been in the power of the stableman to open that door. As to Mr. Hammond's presence at Fellside, I cannot see any danger--any reason why harm should come of it, more than of Lord Maulevrier's presence here in the past.' 'The two gentlemen are so different, my lady,' said Steadman, with a gloomy brow. 'His lordship is so light-hearted and careless, his mind taken up with his horses, guns, dogs, fishing, shooting, and all kinds of sport. He is not a gentleman to take much notice of anything out of his own line. But this Mr. Hammond is different--a very thoughtful gentleman, an inquiring mind, as one would say.'