I could see, as I took with a trembling hand the water he poured out for
me, that Mr. Shovelin was displeased. His kind and handsome face grew
hard. He had taken me for a nice young lady, never much above the
freezing-point, and he had found me boil over in a moment. I was sorry
to have grieved him; but if he had heard Betsy Bowen's story, and seen
her tell it, perhaps he would have allowed for me. I sat down again,
having risen in my warmth, and tried to quiet and command myself by
thinking of the sad points only. Of these there were plenty to make
pictures of, the like of which had kept me awake all night; and I knew
by this time, from finding so much more of pity than real sympathy, that
men think a woman may well be all tears, but has no right to even the
shadow of a frown. That is their own prerogative.

And so, when Mr. Shovelin returned, with a bundle of papers which had
also vexed him--to judge by the way in which he threw them down--I spoke
very mildly, and said that I was very sorry for my display of violence,
but that if he knew all, he would pardon me; and he pardoned me in a
moment.

"I was going to tell you, my dear Miss Castlewood," he continued,
gently, "that your sudden idea must be dismissed, for reasons which I
think will content you. In the first place, the present Lord Castlewood
is, and always has been, an exemplary man, of great piety and true
gentleness; in the next place, he is an invalid, who can not walk a mile
with a crutch to help him, and so he has been for a great many years;
and lastly, if you have no faith in the rest, he was in Italy at the
time, and remained there for some years afterward. There he received and
sheltered your poor father after his sad calamity, and was better than a
brother to him, as your father, in a letter to me, declared. So you see
that you must acquit him."

"That is not enough. I would beg his pardon on my knees, since he helped
my father, for he must have thought him innocent. Now, Mr. Shovelin, you
were my father's friend, and you are such a clever man--"

"How do you know that, young lady? What a hurry you are always in!"

"Oh, there can be no doubt about it. But you must not ask reasons, if
I am so quick. Now please to tell me what your own conclusion is. I can
talk of it calmly now; yes, quite calmly, because I never think of any
thing else. Only tell me what you really believe, and I will keep it
most strictly to myself."

"I am sure you will do that