he other replied gently. 'I have not seen any
of your friends. I think very likely you are the only one that could
tell me the truth.'

'Lyddy knows,' was spoken presently, after the shedding of a few quiet
tears. 'I left a letter for her. Besides, she knew before--knew that--'

The voice faltered and ceased.

'Can you tell me what it was, Thyrza?'

'I didn't do anything wrong, Mrs. Ormonde. But I was going to be
married--do you remember about Mr. Grail?'

'Yes, dear.'

'I couldn't marry him--I didn't love him.'

She turned her face upon the pillow. Mrs. Ormonde touched her with kind
hand, and, when she saw that the girl could tell no more, tried to
soothe her.

'I understand now, Thyrza. I know it must have been a great trouble
that drove you to this. I will do nothing that you don't wish. But we
must let Lyddy know that you are in safety. Suppose you write a letter
and tell her that you have been ill, but that you are quite well again,
and with friends. You needn't put any address on it, and you had better
not mention my name. It will be enough for the present to relieve her
mind.'

'Yes, I'll do that, Mrs. Ormonde, if I can write.'

'You will be able to, very soon. It would frighten Lyddy, if the letter
came to her written in a strange hand.'

Mrs. Ormonde made up her mind not to let it be known that she was in
communication with Thyrza. Much was still dubious, but clearly it would
be the wise course to avoid the possibility of Egremont's discovering
Thyrza's place of abode. For the sake of the long future, a little more
must be borne in the present. She had more than Thyrza's interests to
keep in mind. Egremont's happiness was also at stake, and that, after
all, was the first concern with her. By prudent management, perhaps the
lives of both could be saved from this seeming wreck, and sped upon
their several ways--ways surely very diverse.

But Thyrza was troubled with desire to ask something. When tears had
heightened the relief of having told as much as she might, she asked
timidly:

'Do you know if Mr. Grail has gone to the library--Mr. Egremont's
library?'

'I have not heard. Could he go after this happening, Thyrza?'

'Yes,' she replied eagerly, 'he would go just the same. Why shouldn't
he? It wouldn't prevent that, just because I didn't marry him. He would
go and live there with Mrs. Grail, his mother. I said, when I wrote to
Lyddy, that he'd go to the library just the same. There was no re