, but simply
because they could not help themselves. John would have found out all
the small childish matter without their aid; it was better, safer to
take him into confidence. Then, to do him justice, he was true as steel;
for though he must discover, he would scorn to betray.

On the white, untroubled sheet of Charlotte Harmon's heart no secrets
yet had been written. Consequently, though she had been engaged for many
months to John Hinton, she had never found out this peculiarity about
him. Those qualities of openness and frankness, so impossible to his own
nature, had attracted him most of all to this beautiful young woman.
Never until yesterday had there been breath or thought of concealment
about her. But then--then he had found her in trouble. Full of sympathy
he had drawn near to comfort, and she had repelled him. She had heard of
something which troubled her, which troubled her to such an extent that
the very expression of her bright face had changed, and yet this
something was to be a secret from him--true, only until the following
day, but a whole twenty-four hours seemed like for ever to Hinton in his
impatience. Before he could even expostulate with her she had run off,
doubtless to confide her care to another. Perhaps the best way to
express John Hinton's feelings would be to say that he was very cross as
he returned to his chambers in Lincoln's Inn.

All that evening, through his dreams all that night, all the following
morning as he tried to engage himself over his law books, he pondered on
Charlotte's secret. Such pondering must in a nature like his excite
apprehension. He arrived on the next day at the house in Prince's Gate
with his mind full of gloomy forebodings. His face was so grave that it
scarcely cleared up at the sight of the bright one raised to meet it. He
was full of the secret of yesterday; Charlotte, in all the joy of the
secret of to-day, had already forgotten it.

"Oh, I have had such a walk!" she exclaimed; "and a little bit of an
adventure--a pretty adventure; and now I am starving. Come into the
dining-room and have some lunch."

"You look very well," answered her lover, "and I left you so miserable
yesterday!"

"Yesterday!" repeated Charlotte; she had forgotten yesterday. "Oh, yes,
I had heard something very disagreeable: but when I looked into the
matter, it turned out to be nothing."

"You will tell me all about it, dear?"

"Well, I don't know, John. I would of course if t