Now the spell was broken. The sensibility,
so strange to all the neighbours, which made
the cliflFs, the birds, and flowers like familiar
friends, magnified her trouble into a despair.
She was wounded. She was angry and
ashamed. She would go from home. She
would live with Aunt Maria and never go to
Charterhouse again. Then, stronger for the
moment than her hatred of Sophia, was the
humiliation which blushed to think of her
father's rudeness to the young Giles Stan-
derwick ; it made her hold her breath and
wish to hide her face.
At last she came out upon the road.
The brown-thatched village lay below her
now, and only the straggling cottages and



AN INVITATION. 123

the neglected house in front. Panting with
excitement, and breathless from walking up
the hill so fast, she went to the wayside and
leaned against a gate to rest. Then she re-
membered her tattered state, smoothed back
her hair, set straight her hat, fastened to-
gether the torn frock, and was ready to go
on again. If she could once reach Black
Down she would leave the highway for the
open country and get back to Charterhouse
alone.
There came a step upon the road. Dis-
turbed by the sound, she quickly turned
and leaned forward to peer out of the gate-
way and see if any one were near.
She started and drew back out of sight.
Close by, on his way homeward, was the
young Giles Standerwick.
He had not seen her. He was coming
very slowly, head bent, and looking down
upon the ground.
