The shades of night fell early now, and Swithin was at the spot of
appointment about the time that he knew her dinner would be over. It was
just where they had met at the beginning of the year, but many changes
had resulted since then. The flower-beds that had used to be so neatly
edged were now jagged and leafy; black stars appeared on the pale surface
of the gravel walks, denoting tufts of grass that grew unmolested there.
Lady Constantine's external affairs wore just that aspect which suggests
that new blood may be advantageously introduced into the line; and new
blood had been introduced, in good sooth,--with what social result
remained to be seen.

She silently entered on the scene from the same window which had given
her passage in months gone by. They met with a concerted embrace, and
St. Cleeve spoke his greeting in whispers.

'We are quite safe, dearest,' said she.

'But the servants?' 'My meagre staff consists of only two women and the boy; and they are
away in the other wing. I thought you would like to see the inside of my
house, after showing me the inside of yours. So we will walk through it
instead of staying out here.' She let him in through the casement, and they strolled forward softly,
Swithin with some curiosity, never before having gone beyond the library
and adjoining room. The whole western side of the house was at this time
shut up, her life being confined to two or three small rooms in the south-
east corner. The great apartments through which they now whisperingly
walked wore already that funereal aspect that comes from disuse and
inattention. Triangular cobwebs already formed little hammocks for the
dust in corners of the wainscot, and a close smell of wood and leather,
seasoned with mouse-droppings, pervaded the atmosphere. So seldom was
the solitude of these chambers intruded on by human feet that more than
once a mouse stood and looked the twain in the face from the arm of a
sofa, or the top of a cabinet, without any great fear.