s away. The commonplaces
supposed to be appropriate about time and change and patience, would
have been unwelcome and irritating, even from his sister's lips, and it
was all the better that Graeme should sit there, thinking her own dreary
thoughts in silence. After the momentary pain and shame which the
betrayal of his secret had caused him, there was a certain consolation
in the knowledge that he had his sister's sympathy, and I am afraid, if
the truth must be told, that Graeme that night suffered more for Harry
than Harry suffered for himself. If she looked back with bitter regret
on the vanished dream of the last six months, it was that night at least
less for her own sake than for his. If from the future that lay before
them she shrank appalled, it was not because the dreariness that must
henceforth be on her life, but because of something worse than
dreariness that might be on the life of her brother, unsettled, almost
reckless, as he seemed to be to-night. She could not but see the danger
that awaited him, should he persist in leaving home, to cast himself
among strangers. How gladly would she have borne his trouble for him.
She felt that going away now, he would have no shield against the
temptation that had of late proved too strong for him; and yet would it
be really better for him, could she prevail upon him to stay at home?
Remembering her own impulse to be away--anywhere--to escape from the
past and its associations, she could not wonder at his wish to go. That
the bitterness of the pain would pass away, she hoped and believed, but
would he wait with patience the coming of content. Alas! her fears were
stronger than her hopes. Best give him into God's keeping and let him
go, she thought.

"But he must not leave Mr Ruthven. That will make him no better, but
worse. He must not go from us, not knowing whither. Oh, I wish I knew
what to do!"

The next day the decision was made. It would not be true to say that
Harry was quite calm and at his ease that morning, when he obeyed a
summons into Mr Ruthven's private room. There was more need for
Charlie's "keep cool, old fellow," than Charlie knew, for Harry had that
morning told Graeme that before he saw her face again he would know
whether he was to go or stay. In spite of himself he felt a little
soft-hearted, as he thought of what might be the result of his
interview, and he was glad that it was not his friend Allan, but Mr
Ruthven the merchant, b