, or for treading on a flower?"

She looked at me, and turned red again.

"I see that Kate has been indelicate enough to tell you about our family
affairs. Of course you have sufficient discretion to disbelieve such
ridiculous stories."

"After pulling her out of the lake, we were much interested in her. We
don't wish to interfere, but I suppose there can be no harm in telling
us what you did shut her up a week or ten days for."

"I am greatly obliged to you, young gentlemen, for what you have done;
but I cannot submit to be called to an account for my conduct in my own
family. I must ask you to excuse me now, for I have an engagement at
this hour."

It was evident to me that we could find out nothing about Kate from her;
but the look of malignity she wore on her face when she spoke of her
step-daughter was the best kind of testimony to me. I rose from my
chair, and moved towards the door, followed by Bob Hale. We bade the
lady good evening, and she closed the door behind us.

Just as we were going down the steps, a buggy, drawn by two handsome
horses, came up to the door, which assured us that the lady's engagement
was not a pretence used to get rid of us. The horses were driven by a
gayly-dressed gentleman. When he alighted, and I obtained a fair view of
his face and form, I was considerably interested in him, for I had seen
him before.

It was the gentleman I had seen at the cottage, with whom my uncle Amos
had had some hard words. He was in some way connected with my silent
guardian, and I was very anxious to know who and what he was, for such
information might be the key to the mystery which shrouded my existence.
For the moment I forgot all about Kate.

"Come along, Ernest," said Bob, when I paused to observe the gentleman.

"Go down to the boat, Bob, and I will be with you in a few minutes."

I stepped into a path where the foliage concealed me; but I saw the
gentleman looking down the drive-way as if to obtain a second view of
me, for I had observed before that he appeared to recognize me.

"I will be ready in a moment, Tom," said Mrs. Loraine, opening the front
door.

Tom! He was a constant visitor, or she would not be thus familiar with
him. Who was Tom? I wished she had called him by his surname. As I gazed
at his face, while he sat in the buggy, I fancied that it bore some
resemblance to that of my uncle.

This man had a quarrel with my misanthropic guardian. I had lived at the
cottage with u