y must be said now; I
may never be strong enough to say it another time, and it must be said."

Then she told him all that had occurred while she was in Queensderry,
from the moment she came, going down into her heart and revealing the
hidden thoughts never before expressed even to herself, while he gazed
back into her eyes fascinated by her spiritual beauty which was her
power.

She told of the chatter of Hetty Giles, and how she had pointed out the
beautiful lady his mother wished him to marry--and how slowly everything
had dawned upon her--the real differences. Of the guests she had seen on
the Daneshead terrace and how they wore such lovely dresses and moved so
easily and laughed and talked all at once, as if they were used to it
all, and perhaps wore such charming things for every day--the wonderful
colors and wide, beautiful hats with plumes--and how even the servants
wore pretty clothes and went about as if they all knew how to do things,
passing cups and plates.

Then she told of her talk with his mother and how carefully she had
guarded her tongue lest a word escape her he would rather not have had
her speak. "I had wronged you in not telling you you had a son, and I
meant to leave him with your mother so he could be raised right." She
paused, and put her hand to her throat, then went bravely on. "Your
mother was kind--she gave me wine--she brought it to me herself. I knew
what I ought to do, but I wasn't strong enough. It seemed as if
something here in my breast was bleeding, and my baby would die if I did
it. When I came out, he was in your sister's arms and had been crying,
and it seemed as if all I had planned had happened, and I took him and
carried him away quickly. I couldn't go fast enough, and I left the inn
that night. The world seemed all like _Vanity Fair_."

David rose and stood before her looking down into her eyes. He could not
control his voice in speaking, and she felt his hands quiver as they
rested on her shoulders. "When did you read that book, Cassandra? Where
did you find it?" he asked, in dismay.

"Among your books in the cabin. I felt at first that it must be a kind
of a disgrace to be a lord--as if every one who had a title or education
must be mean and low, and all the rest of the world over there must be
fools; but because of you, David, I knew better than to believe that.
Your mother is not like those women, either. She was kind and beautiful,
and--I--loved her, but all the more