“Spare you, Julia?”

“Yes, Harry, spare me; you must be good to me and considerate, and make yourself like a brother to me.  But people will know you are not a brother, and you must remember all that for my sake.  But you must not leave me or desert me.  Anything that people might say would be better than that.”

“Was I wrong to kiss your hand?”

“Yes, wrong, certainly wrong—­that is, not wrong, but unmindful.”

“I did it,” he said, “because I love you.”  As he spoke the tears stood in both his eyes.

“Yes; you love me, and I you; but not with love that may show itself in that form.  That was the old love, which I threw away, and which has been lost.  That was at an end when I—­jilted you.  I am not angry; but you will remember that that love exists no longer?  You will remember that, Harry?”

He sat himself down in a chair in the far part of the room, and two tears coursed their way down his cheeks.  She stood over him and watched him as he wept.  “I did not mean to make you sad,” she said.  “Come, we will be sad no longer.  I understand it all.  I know how it is with you.  The old love is lost, but we shall not the less be friends.”  Then he rose suddenly from his chair, and taking her in his arms, and holding her closely to his bosom, pressed his lips to hers.

He was so quick in this that she had not the power, even if she had the wish, to restrain him.  But she struggled in his arms, and held her face aloof from him as she gently rebuked his passion.  “No, Harry, no; not so,” she said, “it must not be so.”

“Yes, Julia, yes; it shall be so; ever so—­always so.”  And he was still holding her in his arms, when the door opened, and with stealthy, cat-like steps Sophie Gordeloup entered the room.  Harry immediately retreated from his position, and Lady Ongar turned upon her friend, and glared upon her with angry eyes.

“Ah,” said the little Franco-Pole, with an expression of infinite delight on her detestable visage, “ah, my dears, is it not well that I thus announce myself?”

“No,” said Lady Ongar, “it is not well.  It is anything but well.”

“And why not well, Julie?  Come, do not be foolish.  Mr. Clavering is only a cousin, and a very handsome cousin, too.  What does it signify before me?”

“It signifies nothing before you,” said Lady Ongar.

“But before the servant, Julie—?”

“It would signify nothing before anybody.”

“Come, come, Julie, dear; that is nonsense.”

“Nonsense or no nonsense, I would wish to be private when I please.  Will you tell me, Madam Gordeloup, what is your pleasure at the present moment?”

“My pleasure is to beg your pardon and to say you must forgive your poor friend.  Your fine man-servant is out, and Bessy let me in.  I told Bessy I would go up by myself, and that is all.  If I have come too late I beg pardon.”

“Not too late, certainly—­as I am still up.”