Now she perceived that it might be perilously near herself.  When all questions were asked and no reasons were given, would not the seeds of gossip fly and sprout and bear their kinds about her path:  and the truth could never be told.  She must walk on through the years, possibly misjudged, giving no sign.

After a while she returned to her seat.

“You must promise me one thing,” she said with white and trembling lips.  “I give you my confidence as far as I can; beyond that I will not go.  And you shall not ask.  You are not to try to find out from me or any one else more than I tell you.  You must give me your word of honor!”

She bent forward and looked her grandmother wretchedly in the eyes.

Mrs. Conyers pushed her chair back as though a hand had struck her rudely in the face.

“Isabel,” she cried, “do you forget to whom you are speaking?”

“Ah, grandmother,” exclaimed Isabel, reckless of her words by reason of suffering, “it is too late for us to be sensitive about our characters.”

Mrs. Conyers rose with insulted pride:  “Do not come to me with your confidence until you can give it.”

Isabel recrossed the room and sank into the seat she had quitted.  Mrs. Conyers remained standing a moment and furtively resumed hers.

Whatever her failings had been—­one might well say her crimes—­Isabel had always treated her from the level of her own high nature.  But Mrs. Conyers had accepted this dutiful demeanor of the years as a tribute to her own virtues.  Now that Isabel, the one person whose respect she most desired, had openly avowed deep distrust of her, the shock was as real as anything life could have dealt.

She glanced narrowly at Isabel:  the girl had forgotten her.

Mrs. Conyers could shift as the wind shifts; and one of her characteristic resources in life had been to conquer by feigning defeat:  she often scaled her mountains by seeming to take a path which led to the valleys.  She now crossed over and sat down with a peace-making laugh.  She attempted to take Isabel’s hand, but it was quickly withdrawn.  Fearing that this movement indicated a receding confidence Mrs. Conyers ignored the rebuff and pressed her inquiry in a new, entirely practical, and pleasant tone: 

“What is the meaning of all this, Isabel?”

Isabel turned upon her again a silent, searching, wretched look of appeal.

Mrs. Conyers realized that it could not be ignored:  “You know that I promise anything.  What did I ever refuse you?”

Isabel sat up but still remained silent.  Mrs. Conyers noted the indecision and shrugged her shoulders with a careless dismissal of the whole subject: 

“Let us drop the subject, then.  Do you think it will rain?”

“Grandmother, Rowan must not come here any more.”  Isabel stopped abruptly.  “That is all.”

. . .  “I merely wanted you to understand this at once.  We must not invite him here any more.”