’I think no harm of you!  Perhaps you’ve got to like him too much, and he’s persuaded you to go to meet him.  It’s only what I’ve thought to myself.  Tell me, and let me be a sister to you; let me help you!  No one else shall hear a word of it, Thyrza.  Only Lyddy!  We’ll talk about it, and see what can be done.  You shall tell me how it began—­tell me all there is in your heart, poor child.  It’ll comfort you to speak of it.  The secret is killing you, my darling.  There’s no harm—­none—­none!  You couldn’t help it.  Only let us both know, and talk to each other about it, like sisters!’

Thyrza’s grasp of the iron loosened, and her hand fell.  She turned her face to the light again.

‘Lyddy, how do you know this?’

’I thought it.  You’ve been out every morning.  You spoke of him in a way—­’

‘Has any one said anything to you?  Has Gilbert?’

’No, no!  Gilbert hasn’t such a thought.  It’s all myself.  Oh, what has he been saying to you, Thyrza?’

A change was coming about in the sufferer.  What had at the first suggestion been a terror now grew upon her as an assuagement of pain.  She clung to her sister’s hand.

‘I don’t know how it began,’ she whispered.  ’It seems so sudden; but I think it’s been coming for a long time.  Ever since I saw him that day at the library—­the first time I ever saw him.  Ever since, there hasn’t been a day I haven’t thought of him.  I never saw any one else that made me think like that.  Day and night, Lyddy!  But it didn’t trouble me at first.  It was only after I came back from Eastbourne.  I seemed to think of everything in a different way after that.  I dreamt of him every night, and I did so want to see him.  I don’t know why.  Then I saw him at last—­on Monday—­at the library.’

‘You hadn’t met him—­alone—­before then?’

‘No, never since that first time.’

‘But why did you go there on Monday?’

’Oh, I can’t—­can’t think!  Something seemed to tell me to go there.  I found there was some books come, and he was putting them on the shelves.  He said he didn’t want Gilbert to know—­just for fun—­and I promised not to say anything.’

‘You mean last Monday?  This week?’

’Yes.  Not before then.  And it seems—­oh, it seems a month ago, Lyddy!’

She lay back, pressing Lydia’s hand against her heart.

‘But did he ask you to go again, dear?’

’No, he didn’t.  It was all myself.  Lyddy, I couldn’t keep away.  I couldn’t.  Will you believe I’m telling the truth?  I tried—­I did try so hard!  I knew I oughtn’t to go, because I wanted to so much.  I knew it was wrong.  I don’t think I should have gone if Mrs. Grail hadn’t forced me to go out for a walk, because she said it would take my headache away.  I was holding myself back all the morning.  And when I got out—­I couldn’t help it—­I was drawn there!  And then I asked him if I might come again to-day.  He said I might, but I could see he thought it was wrong of me.  And, Lyddy, he never came.  I stayed there waiting.  Oh, do you know what I suffered?  I can’t tell you!’