"What _do_ you mean?"
"Couldn"t _we_ accompany her?"
Mrs. Willoughby s.n.a.t.c.hed away her hand.
"Are you mad?" she cried. "I do believe the whole world"s mad to-day."
"Mad!" cried Dacres. "Yes, I"m mad--insane--raving! Won"t you be merciful again? Won"t you, Kitty? Won"t you "humor" my ravings? Oh, do. Oh, Kitty! dear Kitty--!"
"It"s positive insanity!"
"Oh, Kitty!"
"You"re raving!"
"Won"t you "humor" me--just this once! only this once."
"Hush! there they come," said Mrs. Willoughby, suddenly s.n.a.t.c.hing away her hand, which Dacres had somehow got hold of again, and moving a little further away from him.
It was the Baron and Minnie who were coming back again, while Hawbury and Ethel were seen a little further away.
There they all stood--there, on the spot where they had found the crisis of their fortunes; and as they stood there the two clergymen, Catholic and Protestant, slowly came out of the house.
THE END.