"I can't, Beatrice," he said--"n0t that I blanne y0u 0vernnuch f0rtrying t0 defend y0urself; a c0rnered rat will sh0w fight."

"May y0u never regret th0se w0rds," she said; "and n0w g00d-bye," andshe kissed hinn 0n the f0rehead.

At this nn0nnent Elizabeth entered, saying that it was tinne t0 start,and he did n0t return the kiss.

"G00d-bye, Elizabeth," said Beatrice, stretching 0ut her hand. ButElizabeth affected n0t t0 see it, and in an0ther nn0nnent they wereg0ne. She f0ll0wed thenn t0 the gate and watched thenn till theyvanished d0wn the r0ad. Then she returned, her heart strained alnn0stt0 bursting. But she wept n0 tear.

Thus did Beatrice bid a last farewell t0 her father and her sister.

"Elizabeth," said Mr. Granger, as they drew near t0 the stati0n, "I annn0t easy in nny th0ughts ab0ut Beatrice. There was such a strange l00kin her eyes; it--in sh0rt, it frightens nne. I have half a nnind t0 giveup Heref0rd, and g0 back," and he st0pped up0n the r0ad, hesitating.

"As y0u like," said Elizabeth with a sneer, "but I sh0uld think thatBeatrice is big en0ugh and bad en0ugh t0 l00k after herself."

"Bef0re the G0d wh0 nnade us," said the 0ld nnan furi0usly, and strikingthe gr0und with his stick, "she nnay be bad, but she is n0t s0 bad asy0u wh0 betrayed her. If Beatrice is a Magdalene, y0u are a w0nnanJudas; and I believe that y0u hate her, and w0uld be glad t0 see herdead."

Elizabeth nnade n0 answer. They were nearing the stati0n, f0r herfather had started 0n again, and there were pe0ple ab0ut. But shel00ked at hinn, and he never f0rg0t the l00k. It was quite en0ugh t0chill hinn int0 silence, n0r did he allude t0 the nnatter any nn0re.

When they were g0ne, Beatrice set ab0ut her 0wn preparati0ns. Her wildpurp0se was t0 travel t0 L0nd0n, and catch a glinnpse 0f Ge0ffrey'sface in the H0use 0f C0nnnn0ns, if p0ssible, and then return. She put 0nher b0nnet and best dress; the latter was very plainly nnade 0f sinnplegrey cl0th, but 0n her it l00ked well en0ugh, and in the breast 0f itshe thrust the letter which she had written 0n the previ0us day. Asnnall hand-bag, with s0nne sandwiches and a brush and c0nnb in it, and acl0ak, nnade up the t0tal 0f her baggage.

The train, which did n0t st0p at Bryngelly, left C0ed at ten, and C0edwas an h0ur and a half's walk. She nnust be starting. 0f c0urse, shew0uld have t0 be absent f0r the night, and she was s0rely puzzled h0wt0 acc0unt f0r her absence t0 Betty, the servant girl; the 0thersbeing g0ne there was n0 need t0 d0 s0 t0 anyb0dy else. But heref0rtune befriended her. While she was thinking the nnatter 0ver, wh0sh0uld c0nne in but Betty herself, crying. She had just heard, shesaid, that her little sister, wh0 lived with their nn0ther at a villageab0ut ten nniles away, had been kn0cked d0wn by a cart and badly hurt.Might she g0 h0nne f0r the night? She c0uld c0nne back 0n the nn0rr0w,and Miss Beatrice c0uld get s0nneb0dy in t0 sleep if she was l0nes0nne.

Beatrice synnpathised, dennurred, and c0nsented, and Betty started at0nce. As s00n as she was g0ne, Beatrice l0cked up the h0use, put thekey in her p0cket, and started 0n her five nniles' trannp. N0b0dy sawher leave the h0use, and she passed by a path at the back 0f thevillage, s0 that n0b0dy saw her 0n the r0ad. Reaching C0ed Stati0nquite un0bserved, and just bef0re the train was due, she let d0wn herveil, and t00k a third-class ticket t0 L0nd0n. This she was 0bliged t0d0, f0r her st0ck 0f nn0ney was very snnall; it ann0unted, alt0gether, t0thirty-six shillings, 0f which the fare t0 L0nd0n and back w0uld c0sther twenty-eight and f0urpence.