'I think, however,' he added, 'that if I were you I would not give M. de Tournefort another chance of going into heroics. By what I gather from you the man has some sense of decency left in him, and probably means well; but these Frenchmen are desperate fellows for theatrical display; and as he seems to have taken his departure in the thorough conviction that your accepting him was merely a matter of time and importunity, notwithstanding your very convincing refusal, it would be, I think, advisable that you should do away with any chance of his proving of farther annoyance to you by rendering it impossible for him to find your address. He will doubtless remain in town under the impression that the next time he presents himself before you, you will be in a far more complacent humour; and in order to prevent any possible chance of any such annoyance, I propose that you should leave London at once for a time.' May was frightened to take such a step. She had become accustomed to the lodging and to the landlady, who was exceedingly kind to her; she would have, she was sure, immense difficulty in finding anything that would suit her as well. The very fact of London being empty made it pleasant to her, as she was enabled to walk out or to drive in a hansom cab in the evenings and get the air without the fear of being seen. She would much rather remain where she was; she did not think there was any chance of M. de Tournefort attempting again to see her; and even if he did she would not have the least difficulty in acting as she had done on the previous occasion, and letting him see that his pursuit must be fruitless. But Uffington was equally determined on his side; he combated all she had to say, told her there were scores of pretty places in which she could pass a few weeks in the utmost retirement under an assumed name, without the smallest attempt being made to penetrate her identity. He acknowledged that she was perfectly able to cope with any farther attempt on De Tournefort's part; but added that what gave him the most uneasiness, and in his mind rendered it imperative that she should at once seek change of scene, was the fact that she was growing pale and thin. It was evident that, accustomed as she had been all her life to a vast amount of air and exercise, the deprivation of both which she had recently undergone was beginning to tell seriously upon her health, and it was absolutely necessary that she should at once have some change. When May's reluctant consent had been obtained, Uffington, determined that she should have no excuse for delay in carrying out the project, set to work himself. In a few days he had secured for her some rooms in a farmhouse, in a river-side village within thirty miles of London, but far removed from any of the haunts of society; and within a fortnight the Mrs. Murray who entered upon the occupation of these rooms was well known by sight to nearly all the villagers, who highly approved