that Philip has
written a private communication to Sibyl, and when she hears of his
absence she is to be given this letter, and I am not even to see it. I
don't think I shall give it to her; I really must now take the
management of the child into my own hands. Her father will be
absent----Oh, there you are, Sibyl. What are you doing, loitering
about near windows? Why don't you play with your companions?" For
Sibyl had burst in by the open window, looking breathless.

"I thought--I thought," she began; "I thought, mother, that I heard
you----" her face was strangely white, and her wide-open eyes looked
almost wild in expression.

"It's not true, of course; but I thought I heard you say something
about father, and a--a letter I was to have in his absence. Did you
say it, mother?"

"I said nothing of the sort," replied Mrs. Ogilvie, flushing red, and
almost pushing Sibyl from the room, "nothing of the sort; go and
play."

Sibyl gave her an earnest and very penetrating look. She did not
glance either at Mr. Rochester or Lady Helen.

"It's wicked for good people to tell lies, isn't it?" she said then,
slowly.

"Wicked," cried her mother; "it's shamefully wicked."

"And you are good, mother, you don't ever tell lies; I believe you,
mother, of course." She turned and went out of the room. As she went
slowly in the direction of the field where the other children were
taking turns to ride bareback one of the horses, her thoughts were
very puzzled.

"I wish things would be 'splained to me," she said, half aloud, and
she pushed back her curls from her forehead. "There are more and more
things every day want 'splaining. I certainly did hear her say it. I
heard them all talking, and Lady Helen said something, and Mr.
Rochester said something, and mother said that father wished me not to
know, and I was to have a letter, and then mother said 'in his
absence.' Oh, what can it mean?"

The other children shouted to her from the field, but she was in no
mood to join them, and just then Lord Grayleigh, who was pacing up and
down his favorite walk, called her to his side.

"What a puzzled expression you are wearing, my little girl," he said.
"Is anything the matter?"

Sibyl skipped up to him. Some of the cloud left her face. Perhaps he
could put things straight for her.

"I want to ask you a question," she said.

"You are always asking questions. Now ask me something really nice;
but first, I have something to say. I am