her opinions
to Philip, and to believe him always right, that she would never have
dreamt of questioning wherever he might choose to lead her. Even the
caution of secrecy did not alarm her, though she wondered that he
thought it required, safe as his confidence always was with her. Mrs.
Edmonstone had been so much occupied by Charles's illness, as to have
been unable to attend to her daughters in their girlish days; and in
the governess's time the habit had been disused of flying at once to her
with every joy or grief. Laura's thoughts were not easy of access, and
Philip had long been all in all to her. She was too ignorant of life to
perceive that it was her duty to make this conversation known; or, more
truly, she did not awaken her mind to consider that anything could be
wrong that Philip desired.

On coming home, she ran up to her own room, and sitting by the open
window, gave herself up to that delicious dream of new-found joy.

There she still sat when Amy came in, opening the door softly, and
treading lightly and airily as she entered, bringing two or three roses
of different tints.

'Laura! not begun to dress?'

'Is it time?'

'Shall I answer you according to what Philip calls my note of time, and
tell you the pimpernels are closed, and the tigridias dropping their
leaves? It would be a proper answer for you; you look as if you were in
Fairy Land.'

'Is papa come home?'

'Long ago! and Guy too. Why, where could you have been, not to have
heard Guy and Eveleen singing the Irish melodies?'

'In a trance,' said Laura, starting up, and laughing, with a slight
degree of constraint, which caused Amy, who was helping her to dress, to
exclaim, 'Has anything happened, Laura?'

'What should have happened?'

'I can't guess, unless the fairies in the great ring on Ashendown came
to visit you when we were gone. But seriously, dear Laura, are you sure
you are not tired? Is nothing the matter?'

'Nothing at all, thank you. I was only thinking over the talk I had with
Philip.'

'Oh!'

Amy never thought of entering into Philip's talks with Laura, and was
perfectly satisfied.

By this time Laura was herself again, come back to common life, and
resolved to watch over her intercourse with Guy; since, though she was
convinced that all was safe at present, she had Philip's word for it
that there might be danger in continuing the pleasant freedom of their
behaviour.

Nothing could be more reassuring than Guy's d