"And Lord Chetwynde is coming back?" "Yes." "When?" "To-morrow, or next day." "I wonder how long he will stay?" "That is a thing which no one can find out so well as yourself." Hilda was silent. "My lady," said Gualtier, after a long pause. "Well?" "You know how ready I am to serve you." "Yes," said Hilda, dreamily. "If this man is in your way he can be removed, as others have been removed," said Gualtier, in a low voice. "Some of them have been removed by means of my assistance. Is this man in your way? Is he? Shall I help you? For when he goes away again I can become his valet. I can engage myself, bring good recommendations, and find employment from him, which will bring me into close contact. Then, if you find him in your way, I can remove the obstacle." Hilda's eyes blazed with a lurid light. She looked at Gualtier like a wrathful demon. The words which she spoke came hissing out, hot and fierce: "Curse you! You do not know what you are saying. I would rather lose a thousand such as you than lose _him_! I would rather die myself than have one hair of his head injured!" Gualtier looked at her, transfixed with amazement. Then his head sank down. These words crushed him. "Can I ever hope for forgiveness?" he faltered at last. "I misunderstood you. I am your slave. I--I only wished to serve you." Hilda waved her hand. "You do not understand," said she, as she rose. "Some day you will understand all." "Then I will wait," said Gualtier, humbly. "I have waited for years. I can still wait. I only live for you. Forgive me." Hilda looked away, and Gualtier sat, looking thoughtfully and sadly at her. "There is one thing," said he, "which you were fortunate to think of. You guarded against a danger which I did not anticipate." "Ah!" said Hilda, roused by the mention of danger. "What is that?" "The discovery of so humble a person as myself. Thanks to you, my assumed name has saved me. But at the same time it led to an embarrassing position, from which I only escaped by my own wit." "What do you allude to?" asked Hilda, with languid curiosity. "Oh, it's the doctor. You know he has been attending Mrs. Hart. Well, some time ago, before I left for London, he met me, and talked about things in general. Whenever he meets me he likes to get up a conversation, and I generally avoid him; but this time I couldn't. After a time, with a great appearance of concern, he said: [Illustration: "I Rode With Him All The Way To London, Dressed As An Elderly Widow."] "'I am sorry to hear, Mr. Gualtier, that you are about to be superseded.' "'Superseded!' said I. 'What do you mean?' "'I hear from some gossip of the servants that there is a new steward.' '"A new steward! This is the first that I have heard of it,' said I. 'I am the only steward here.' "'This one,' said he, 'is--a--Mr. M'Kenzie.' "'M'Kenzie!' said I, instantaneously-- 'M'Kenzie!' And I laughed. 'Why, I am Mr. M'Kenzie.'