a said nothing. Brandon's words did not lead her to think of Joseph.
So she thought of him, wishing she had been so led. She noticed,
however, a slight emphasis in the words which informed her that the
young man, whoever he was, "was getting over his misfortune, and wanted
to forget it."

"It was very kind of you," she said at last, after a long pause.

Brandon turned. Her words were ambiguous, and he wished to be
understood. "You observe, no doubt, Miss Melcombe," he said, "that I am
speaking of Joseph Swan?"

"Joseph Swan!" Laura repeated, "then he is going away?"

"Yes; but when I had secured this situation for him, he said he felt
that he must tell me what had occurred. He told me of an attachment that
he had formed, and whatever I may think as to the prudence displayed in
the affair, you know best whether _he_ was at all to blame. He had
received certain promises, so he assured me, and for a long time he had
buoyed himself up with hope, but after that, feeling himself very much
injured, and knowing that he had been deceived, he had determined to go
away."

Laura had never expected to have her conduct brought home to her, and
she had actually been almost unaware that she was to blame.

"It was Amelia's doing," she murmured.

Brandon was anxious to speak guardedly, and would not mention Joseph's
name again lest Mrs. Melcombe should enter suddenly and hear it, so he
answered, "Yes; and the young man told me he knew you were very much
afraid of your sister-in-law. It appears, however, that you had written
to him."

"I did, two or three times," said Laura.

"So in case you should in after years feel anxious as to what had become
of those letters, or should feel some compunction for groundless hopes
excited and for causeless caprice, I undertook to tell you as a message
from this young man, that, considering you to be completely under the
dominion of your sister-in-law, he does not at all blame you, he does
not admit that you are in fault; in one sense, now that he can look back
on his attachment as over, he declares that he is the better for it,
because it induced him to work hard at improving himself. He is to go
out to Santo Domingo, where, in a new climate, and hearing a new
language, he can begin life afresh; but he wishes you to be assured that
he shall never trouble or annoy you, and he returns you your letters. I
promised to say all this to you as a message from this young man--a
young man who, whateve