I can say, by
_this_--'

'It must be invention of the woman,' said Mr. Deyncourt.

'I hope so,' was the answer.

'Could Miss Rollstone have suspected it? She was very unlike what I have
seen of her before.'

They separated for breakfast, agreeing to meet afterwards to hunt up the
Jones family.

Ida had suffered a good deal all the night and morning as she wondered
what her confession might entail on her. Sometimes she told herself that
since it would come out in Herbert's letters on the discovery of the
child, it was well to have the honour of the first disclosure, and her
brother was certain to keep her part in the matter a secret; but, on the
other hand, she did not know how much Louisa might have told her mother,
nor whether Mrs. Hall might persist in secrecy--nay, or even Rose.
Indeed, she was quite uncertain how much Rose had understood. She could
not have kept back guesses, and she did not believe in honour on Rose's
part. So she was nervous on finding that her uncle was gone out.

When he came in to breakfast, he merely made a morning greeting.
Afterwards he scarcely spoke, except to answer an occasional remark from
her mother. To herself, he neither looked nor spoke, but when Mrs.
Morton declared that he looked the better for his morning walk, there was
a half smile and light in his eye, and the weight seemed gone from his
brow. Mrs. Morton asked what he was going to do.

'I am going out with Mr. Deyncourt,' he answered.

And Ida breathed more freely when he was gone.

But she little knew that Mr. Deyncourt had gone to Rose Rollstone in her
father's presence, and told her of Mrs. Hall's revelations, asking her if
this had been the cause of her silence. She had to own how the truth had
flashed at once on her and Mr. Morton.

'It would be so very dreadful for them if it were known,' she said. 'He
thought if he brought back the boy, his sister's part need not be known.'

'Then that was the secret!' exclaimed Mrs. Rollstone. 'Well, I'll not
blame you, child, but you might have told us.'

Secrets were safe with the ex-butler, but not quite so much so with his
wife, though all three tried to impress on her the need of silence,
before Mr. Deyncourt hastened out to rejoin Lord Northmoor. The inquiry
took a much longer time than they had expected, for the family wanted did
not live in Mr. Deyncourt's district, and they were misdirected more than
once to people who disdained the notion of being co