'Radie not come yet?' said he entering. 'We certainly are much pleasanter in this room, Dorkie, more, in proportion, than we two should have been in the drawing-room.' He seated himself beside her, drawing his chair very close to hers, and taking her hand in his. He was more affectionate this evening than usual. What did it portend? she thought. She had already begun to acquiesce in Rachel's estimate of Stanley, and to fancy that whatever he did it was with an unacknowledged purpose. 'Does little Dorkie love me?' said Lake, in a sweet undertone. There was reproach, but love too, in the deep soft glance she threw upon him. 'You must promise me not to be frightened at what I am going to tell you,' said Lake. She heard him with sudden panic, and a sense of cold stole over her. He looked like a ghost--quite white--smiling. She knew something was coming--the secret she had invoked so long--and she was appalled. 'Don't be frightened, darling. It is necessary to tell you; but it is really not much when you hear me out. You'll say so when you have quite heard me. So you won't be frightened?' She was gazing straight into his wild yellow eyes, fascinated, with a look of expecting terror. 'You are nervous, darling,' he continued, laying his hand on hers. 'Shall we put it off for a little? You are frightened.' 'Not much frightened, Stanley,' she whispered. 'Well, we had better wait. I see, Dorcas, you _are_ frightened and nervous. Don't keep looking at me; look at something else, can't you? You make yourself nervous that way. I promise, upon my honour, I'll not say a word about it till you bid me.' 'I know, Stanley--I know.' 'Then, why won't you look down, or look up, or look any way you please, only don't stare at me so.' 'Yes--oh, yes,' and she shut her eyes. 'I'm sorry I began,' he said, pettishly. 'You'll make a fuss. You've made yourself quite nervous; and I'll wait a little.' 'Oh! no, Stanley, _now_--for Heaven's sake, _now_. I was only a little startled; but I am quite well again. Is it anything about marriage? Oh, Stanley, in mercy, tell me was there any other engagement?' 'Nothing, darling--nothing on earth of the sort;' and he spoke with an icy little laugh. 'Your poor soldier is altogether yours, Dorkie,' and he kissed her cheek. 'Thank God for that!' said Dorcas, hardly above her breath. 'What I have to say is quite different, and really nothing that need affect you; but Rachel has made such a row about it. Fifty fellows, I know, are in much worse fixes; and though it is not of so much consequence, still I think I should not have told you; only, without knowing it, you were thwarting me, and helping to get me into a serious difficulty by your obstinacy--or what you will--about Five Oaks.' Somehow trifling as the matter was, Stanley seemed to grow more and more unwilling to disclose it, and rather shrank from it now.