"Fear nothing!" He winds her about with his arm. "Come! He will love us both, and love you the more for being faithful to your father's creed. You don't know him, Lucy. He seems harsh and stern--he is full of kindness and love. He isn't at all a bigot. And besides, when he hears what the nuns have done for you, won't he thank them, as I do? And--oh! I must speak to him soon, and you must be prepared to see him soon, for I cannot bear your remaining at Belthorpe, like a jewel in a sty. Mind! I'm not saying a word against your uncle. I declare I love everybody and everything that sees you and touches you. Stay! it _is_ a wonder how you could have grown there. But you were not born there, and your father had good blood. Desborough!--there was a Colonel Desborough--never mind! Come!" She dreads to. She begs not to. She is drawn away. The woods are silent, and then-- "What think you of that for a pretty pastoral?" says a very different voice. Adrian reclined against a pine overlooking the fern-covert. Lady Blandish was recumbent upon the brown pine-droppings, gazing through a vista of the lower greenwood which opened out upon the moon-lighted valley, her hands clasped round one knee, her features almost stern in their set hard expression. They had heard, by involuntarily overhearing about as much as may be heard in such positions, a luminous word or two. The lady did not answer. A movement among the ferns attracted Adrian, and he stepped down the decline across the pine-roots to behold heavy Benson below, shaking fern-seed and spidery substances off his crumpled skin. "Is that you, Mr. Hadrian?" called Benson, starting, as he puffed, and exercised his handkerchief. "Is it _you_, Benson, who have had the audacity to spy upon these Mysteries?" Adrian called back, and coming close to him, added, "You look as if you had just been well thrashed." "Isn't it dreadful, sir?" snuffled Benson. "And his father in ignorance, Mr. Hadrian!" "He shall know, Benson! He shall know how you have endangered your valuable skin in his service. If Mr. Richard had found you there just now I wouldn't answer for the consequences." "Ha!" Benson spitefully retorted. "This won't go on, Mr. Hadrian. It shan't, sir. It will be put a stop to to-morrow, sir. I call it corruption of a young gentleman like him, and harlotry, sir, I call it. I'd have every jade flogged that made a young innocent gentleman go on like that, sir." "Then why didn't you stop it yourself, Benson? Ah, I see! you waited--what? This is not the first time you have been attendant on Apollo and Miss Dryope? You have written to headquarters?" "I did my duty, Mr. Hadrian." The wise youth returned to Lady Blandish, and informed her of Benson's zeal. The lady's eyes flashed. "I hope Richard will treat him as he deserves," she said. "Shall we home?" Adrian inquired. "Do me a favour," the lady replied. "Get my carriage sent round to meet me at the park-gates." "Won't you?"-- "I want to be alone."