Before the storm the woods are still,
All Nature drowses as in sleep;
Yet, tho' her she may keep,
She feels a strange prophetic thrill,
 
Before the storm.
 
 
From heavy clouds on mount and hill,
The thunders mutter--lightnings leap,
And soon the heav'ns commence to weep,
Such strained silence ill,
 
Before the storm.
 
 
Living at Thornstream was hardly very pleasant after the interview between Sir Rupert and his daughter. Everything went on just the same, but this very calmness was a foreboding sign of a coming tempest. The baronet was deeply angered at what he considered Kaituna's feminine duplicity, but hiding all such feelings under a mask of ultra politeness, he treated her with a cold courtesy which was far more irritating to the proud spirit of the girl than any outburst of would have been.
 
Inheriting, however, no inconsiderable portion of the pride, she, on her part, treated her father with distant politeness; so these two proud spirits found themselves separated, the one from the other, by the insurmountable barrier of disdainful silence, which they had each contributed to build. They lived under the same roof, they took their meals at the same table, they interchanged the usual remarks concerning daily events, and, to all outward appearances, were the same to one another as they had ever been; but it was far from being the case, for the confidence of the father in the daughter, of the daughter in the father, had entirely disappeared, and they regarded one another with distrust.
 
It was certainly a very unhappy state of things, and was entirely due to the views held by Sir Rupert, regarding his bearing towards his womankind. Had he interviewed Maxwell personally, and judged for himself as to his fitness to become the husband of his daughter--had he spoken of the matter to Kaituna in a manner--had he made some allowance for the mutual love of these young people, who had set aside conventional observations, things might have been better. But, by ordering his daughter to give up her lover, as he had ordered his high-spirited wife to give up her friend, he committed a fatal mistake, and as he had reaped the consequences of such high-handed before by losing his wife, it seemed as though history would repeat itself, and he would lose his daughter. Had he shown Kaituna the of a hasty love match, had he her for her own sake to be cautious, had he requested her to consider her determination--but to order, ah, that was the mistake he made.
 
enough, he never saw this. In all things he demanded an absolute and unquestioning from his household, so it never for a moment struck him that the girl would dare to defy his authority. Yet it was so; for in place of making her obedient, Sir Rupert's blundering conduct had made her , and she made up her mind that she would never give up her lover.
 
Tommy Valpy stood her friend, and Kaituna met Archie at her house, where they parted with many promises of remaining true to one another. Then Kaituna returned to Thornstream, and resumed her mask of politeness; while Sir Rupert, thinking she had obeyed him, and given up her lover, was to a certain extent content, although still suspicious of her apparent in his wish.
 
Things were in this state when Mrs. Belswin arrived. On leaving the railway station, after her interview with Maxwell, she had met Belk, but did not stop to speak to him, being afraid of Ferrari's . In this she was quite right, for Belk, seeing her driving past with a stranger, as he took off his hat; while Ferrari, noting the good looks of the young man, and seeing the directed to himself, guessed directly that this was the rival mentioned by Mrs. Belswin.
 
"Mia cara," he said, artfully, as they drove on to Deswarth, "that handsome gentleman who made the bow--is it your friend?"
 
"Friend," echoed Mrs. Belswin, carelessly--"oh, I've so many friends."
 
"Is it--" began Stephano, when Mrs. Belswin turned furiously upon him.
 
"Don't worry me, Stephano; don't you see I'm busy. Is that the man I mentioned to you?--yes, it is. You see he is stronger than you, so don't fight him unless you like. I don't care a for either of you. All I want is to stay by my child; and as you can't help me, you coward, don't worry me with silly questions."
 
Ferrari said no more, but made up his mind to seek an interview with the good-looking stranger, and find out whether Mrs. Belswin regarded him with favour.
 
On arriving at Deswarth, which was a short distance from Thornstream, Mrs. Belswin put the Italian down at "The Chequers Inn," told him to wait there in until she saw him again, and then drove to the Hall.
 
Being not to see Sir Rupert until after dinner, in order to discover in the meantime............