'You remember—last year.' 'What about last year?' 'Why you remember, Hazel. You did not like him at all, and used to get out of all patience with him.' 'Of course I did. There is no particular call to get out of patience just now. And even I generally wait for a reason.' 'Have you made up your mind you will never get out of patience again?' Prim asked, with a keen look to the answer. 'No.' Prim's eye fell on the cushions and the gray shawl again. 'You aren't going to vex him, Hazel, are you?' 'Why Prim!'—Hazel took hold of her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake, though with a queer mixture of softness and sharpness,—'do I look like the good little girl in storybooks, that you put me through such a catechism?' 'No; but I find you up here,'—and again Prim's eye went to the gray shawl and came back to her friend's face. 'I am not specially responsible for that. The thing just now is how to get away. Mr. Falkirk will be out of his wits.' Prim was uncertain and dissatisfied, and sat back. A moment after came the steps of the two gentlemen at the door. As they entered, Dane with a smile and a gesture of salutation, went through the room to speak to Gyda in some of her offices. Dr. Maryland remained. 'Shall we go home now, Arthur?' said Prim, rising, when he had exchanged greetings with Miss Kennedy. Hazel was a little shy of him; somehow she half fancied that his quick eye had read her secret. 'Not possible, my dear. Rollo and I must be here all night, on duty. And it is quite too dark for you to go alone.' 'That poor man?' said Primrose.—'Does he want you _still?_ you and Dane?' 'No, it's not that. But some of that poor man's fellow-workmen have set their hearts, it is said, upon making a bonfire in one of Dane's mills,—to stop his making some people more comfortable than others, I suppose; and the bonfire may need care.' 'A bonfire!' said Prim. 'I should think Duke would put a stop to that.' 'So he intends. But you cannot always stop a thing before it is begun.' Dr. Arthur leisurely warming one foot as he stood at the fire, tool notice now that the third member of the company, not saying a word, was watching him with an interest before which even Prim's grew tame. And (all things being fair in the pursuit of science) suddenly intercepting the look, he found that it as suddenly retreated, in some confusion. Whereupon, 'standing attention' a little more, Dr. Arthur took the measure of the gray chair as accurately as if he intended to have one made for himself, and then with a smile came back to the more selfish business of warming his other foot. Therewith entered the temporary master of the house. 'Well, ladies!' said he; 'have you come to any conclusion as to what is to be done?' 'We do not but half understand the case yet, Duke,' answered Primrose. He passed through the room to Wych Hazel's side.