“No, no!” said Olga drawing back.  “For me, none of it!”

“Yes, you will live with me—­you will, Olga!  This makes everything different.  You will see that you cannot do what you thought of!  Don’t speak of it now—­think—­wait——­”

The girl moved apart.  Her face lost its brightness; hardened in passionate determination.

“I can’t begin all that again,” she said, with an accent of weariness.

“No!  I won’t speak of it now, Olga.  But will you do one thing for me?  Will you put it off for a short time?  I’ll tell you what I’ve planned; your uncle and I talked it all over.  I must leave this house before he comes back, to-morrow morning.  I can’t go to your uncle’s house, as he asked me; you see why it is better not, don’t you?  The best will be to go into lodgings for a time, and not to let him know where I am, till I hear whether he will accept the terms I offer.  Look, I have enough money for the present.”  She showed gold that had been left with her by Dr. Derwent.  “But am I to go alone?  Will you desert me in my struggle?  I want you, dear; I need your help.  Oh, it would be cruel to leave me just now!  Will you put it off for a few weeks, until I know what my life is going to be?  You won’t refuse me this one thing, Olga, after all we have gone through together?”

“For a few weeks:  of course I will do that,” replied the girl, still in an attitude of resistance.  “But you mustn’t deceive yourself, mother.  My mind is made up; nothing will change it.  Money is nothing to me; we shall be able to live——­”

“I can count on you till the struggle is over?”

“I won’t leave you until it is settled.  And perhaps there will be no struggle at all.  I should think it will be enough for you to say what you have decided——­”

“Perhaps.  But I can’t feel sure.  He has got to be such a tyrant, and it will enrage him—­But perhaps the money—­Yes, he will be glad of the money.”

Presently they sat down to make a pretence of eating; it was over in a few minutes.  Mrs. Hannaford made known in detail what she had rapidly decided with her brother.  Tonight she would pack her clothing and Olga’s; she would leave a letter for her husband; and early in the morning they would leave London.  Not for any distant hiding-place; it was better to be within easy reach of Dr. Derwent, and a retreat in Surrey would best suit their purposes, some place where lodgings could be at once obtained.  The subject of difference put aside, they talked again freely and affectionately of this sudden escape from a life which in any case Mrs. Hannaford could not have endured much longer.  About nine o’clock, the quiet of the house was broken by a postman’s knock; Olga ran to take the letter, and exclaimed on seeing the address—­

“Why, it’s from Mr. Otway, and an English stamp!”

Mrs. Hannaford found a note of a few lines.  Piers Otway had reached London that morning, and would be in town for a day or two only, before going on into Yorkshire.  Could he see his old friends to-morrow?  He would call in the afternoon.