"Pray tell me,—is the question of 'ought' never affected by what should be legitimate hindrances?"
"They are never credited with being legitimate," Mrs. Barclay said, with a slight laugh. "The principle is the same as that old soldier's who said, you know, when ordered upon some difficult duty, 'Sir, if it is possible, it shall be done; and if it is impossible, it must be done!'"
"That will do for a soldier,", said Dillwyn. "At what o'clock does she go?"
"In about a quarter of an hour I shall expect to hear her feet pattering softly through the hall, and then the door will open and shut without noise, and a dark figure will shoot past the windows."
Mr. Dillwyn left the room, and probably made some preparations; for when, a few minutes later, a figure all wrapped up in a waterproof cloak did pass softly through the hall, he came out of Mrs. Barclay's room and confronted it; and I think his overcoat was on.
"Miss Lois! you cannot be going out in this storm?"
"O yes. The storm is nothing—only something to fight against."
"But it blows quite furiously."
"I don't dislike a wind," said Lois, laying her hand on the lock of the door.
"You have no umbrella?"