“Then I must say that you are very obstinate.”

“It is not very often that I resolve to have my own way; but I have resolved now, and you should not try to balk me.”

They had now come round nearly to the house, and she showed, by the direction that she took, that she was going in.

“You will go?” said he.

“Yes,” said she; “I will go. My address will be at the old house in Arundel Street. Shall I see you again before I go?” she asked him, when she stood on the doorstep. “Perhaps you will be busy, and I had better say goodbye.”

“Good-bye,” said he, very gloomily; but he took her hand.

“I suppose I had better not disturb my uncle. You will give him my love. And, John, you will tell some one about my luggage; will you not?”

He muttered some affirmative, and then went round from the front of the house, while she entered the hall.

It was now half-past eleven, and she intended to start at half-past twelve. She went into the drawing-room and not finding her aunt, rang the bell. Lady Ball was with Sir John, she was told. She then wrote a note on a scrap of paper, and sent it in:

Dear Aunt,

I leave here at half-past twelve. Perhaps you would like to see me before I go.

M. M.

Then, while she was waiting for an answer, she went into the school room, and said good-bye to all the children.

“But you are coming back, aunt Meg,” said the youngest girl.

Margaret stooped down to kiss her, and, when the child saw and felt the tears, she asked no further questions.

“Lady Ball is in the drawing-room, Miss,” a servant said at that moment, and there she went to fight her last battle!

“What’s the meaning of this, Margaret?” said her aunt.

“Simply that I am going. I was to have gone on Monday, as you will remember.”

“But it was understood that you were to stop.”

For a moment or two Margaret said nothing.

“I hate these sudden changes,” said Lady Ball; “they are hardly respectable. I don’t think you should leave the house in this way, without having given notice to any one. What will the servants think of it?”

“They will probably think the truth, aunt. They probably thought that, when they saw that you did not speak to me yesterday morning. You can hardly imagine that I should stay in the house under such circumstances as that.”

“You must do as you like, of course.”

“In this instance I must, aunt. I suppose I cannot see my uncle?”

“It is quite out of the question.”

“Then I will say good-bye to you. I have said good-bye to John. Good-bye, aunt,” and Margaret put out her hand.

But Lady Ball did not put out hers.