out me," she begged, "I mean about my
uncle, or anything of that sort at all. I am going over to England on a
very foolish errand, I think, and I wish to keep it to myself."

Littleson became a trifle grave. He was not a bad sort of a fellow, and
Virginia seemed little more than a charming child as she stood in the
passage, looking up at him with appealing eyes and slightly parted lips.

"Do you mean," he asked, "that you have run away from your uncle?"

"Not exactly that," she answered. "My uncle was quite willing to have me
leave him, but he does not know exactly where I am, nor do my people.
Will you keep my secret, please?"

"Certainly!" he answered.

"From every one on board, as well as from your letters if you write from
Queenstown?"

"Well, I'll try to do as you say," he answered, "but I should like to
have a talk with you before we land."

He went to his stateroom a little thoughtfully. It had not yet occurred
to him that Virginia's errand to London and his might possibly have
something in common.

CHAPTER II

REFLECTIONS

Littleson, before many hours of their voyage had passed, became
conscious that Virginia was showing a slight but unmistakable desire to
avoid his society. Being a Harvard graduate, something of an athlete,
and a young man of fashion and popularity, he did not for a moment
entertain the idea that there could be anything personal in her feeling.
He came to the conclusion, therefore, that she had either discovered his
connection with Stella's behaviour, or that the object of her visit to
Europe was one that she desired to conceal from him. On the afternoon of
the day when he had received his first but distinct snub, he made a
point of drawing his chair over to hers.

"I am not going to bother you very much, Miss Longworth," he said, "but
I feel that I must ask you a question. I don't want you to break any
confidences, and I haven't much to tell you myself, but I should like to
know whether your visit to England has anything to do with what happened
one night in the library of your uncle's house?"

"So you know about that then, do you?" she asked quietly.

"I do," he answered. "I know that a paper was stolen by your cousin, and
handed over to a person whom we will not name, but who is now in Europe.
I will tell you this much--I am going across so as to keep in touch with
that person. It seems odd that you, who are involved in the same
affair, should be going over by the same