eakness. "Oh, what have I done? You said truly, it would kill him to
hear _that_. And my heedlessness drove Grimes to go and tell him. Yes,
your prophecy was true: I have been the disgrace of our house--the
destruction of my father. What shall I do, Nathanael?"

And he held out his hands to his younger brother in the helplessness of
despair.

"The first thing, Frederick, is for you to be silent Anne, take my
sisters away; my brother and I have something to say to one another.
What? no one will go? Then, brother, come with me."

The other rose mechanically; Agatha likewise. She began to put
circumstances together, and guess darkly at what was amiss. Probably she
herself had to do with it. She remembered in what strict honour the
old Squire held the duty of a guardian, as he had shown in what he said
about his own relation to Anne Valery. Perhaps some carelessness of his
son's had caused her own loss of fortune. Yet that was not a thing to
break his father's heart, or harden his brother's against him. Mere
chance it must have been; ill-luck, or at the worst carelessness. There
could not be any real dishonour in Major Harper. And after all what was
money, when they could be so much happier without it? She determined to
go to her husband and openly say so, telling all that had come to her
knowledge of their secrets. They should no longer be angry with one
another--if it were on her account.

So she followed after them, with her soft, noiseless step; and when the
two brothers stood together in their father's deserted study, there she
was between them.

"Agatha!" They both uttered her name--the elder in much confusion. He
had seemed all along as though he could scarcely bear the sight of her
innocent face.

"Don't send me away," she said, laying a hand on either. "I know I am
a young ignorant thing, and you are wise men; but perhaps a
straightforward girl may be as wise as you. Why are you angry with one
another?"

Both looked uncomfortable. Major Harper tried to throw the question off.

"Are we angry with one another? Nay, I am sure"--

"Don't deceive me--this is no time for making pretences of any kind.
What is this quarrel between you two?" And she turned from one to the
other her fearless eyes.

Major Harper could not meet them; Nathanael did, calmly, but
sorrowfully.

"Agatha, I cannot tell you."

"But I can tell _you_; and I will, for it is right. Major Harper, do not
be unhappy. Believe me, I care not o