here was anything to
tell; but do come and have some lunch, I cannot even mention something
else much more important until I have had some lunch."

John Hinton frowned. Even that allusion to something much more important
did not satisfy him. He must know this other thing. What! spend
twenty-four hours of misery, and not learn what it was all about in the
end! Charlotte's happiness, however, could not but prove infectious, and
the two made merry over their meal, and not until they found themselves
in Charlotte's own special sanctum did Hinton resume his grave manner.
Then he began at once.

"Now, Charlotte, you will tell me why you looked so grave and scared
yesterday. I have been miserable enough thinking of it ever since. I
don't understand why you did not confide in me at once."

"Dear John," she said--she saw now that he had been really hurt--"I
would not give you pain for worlds, my dearest. Yes, I was much
perplexed, I was even very unhappy for the time. A horrid doubt had been
put into my head, but it turned out nothing, nothing whatever. Let us
forget it, dear John; I have something much more important to tell you."

"Yes, afterwards, but you will tell me this, even though it did turn out
of no consequence."

"Please, John dear, I would rather not. I was assailed by a most
unworthy suspicion. It turned out nothing, nothing at all. I would
rather, seeing it was all a myth, you never knew of it."

"And I would rather know, Charlotte; the myth shall be dismissed from
mind, too, but I would rather be in your full confidence."

"My full confidence?" she repeated; the expression pained her. She
looked hard at Hinton; his words were very quietly spoken, but there was
a cloud on his brow. "You shall certainly have my full confidence," she
said after that brief pause; "which will you hear first, what gave me
pain yesterday, or what brings me joy to-day?"

"What gave you pain yesterday."

There is no doubt she had hoped he would have made the latter choice,
but seeing he did not she submitted at once, sitting, not as was her
wont close to his side, but on a chair opposite. Hinton sat with his
back to the light, but it fell full on Charlotte, and he could see every
line of her innocent and noble face as she told her tale. Having got to
tell it, she did so in few but simple words; Mrs. Home's story coming of
a necessity first, her Uncle Jasper's explanation last. When the whole
tale was told, she paused, then said,