‘I will not delay you, I will walk with you,’ and when Petros had been dismissed, ’I am afraid my niece has not been quite the friend to you that she intended.’

’Oh, Miss Mohun, do you know all about it?  It is such a relief!  I have felt so guilty towards you, and yet I did not know what to do.’

‘I have never thought that the concealment was your fault,’ said Jane.

‘I did think at first that you knew,’ said Kalliope, ’and when I found that was not the case, I suppose I should have insisted on your being told; but I could not bear to seem ungrateful, and my brother took such extreme delight in his lessons and Miss Merrifield’s kindness, that—–­that I could not bear to do what might prevent them.  And now, poor fellow, it shows how wrong it was, since he has ventured on that unfortunate act of presumption, which has so offended her.  Oh, Miss Mohun, he is quite broken-hearted.’

’I am afraid Gillian was very discourteous.  I was out, or it should not have been done so unkindly.  Indeed, in the shock, Gillian did not recollect that she might be giving pain.’

’Yes, yes!  Poor Alexis!  He has not had any opportunity of understanding how different things are in your class of life, and he thought it would show his gratitude and—–­and—–­Oh, he is so miserable!’ and she was forced to stop to wipe away her tears.

’Poor fellow!  But it was one of those young men’s mistakes that are got over and outgrown, so you need not grieve over it so much, my dear.  My brother-in-law is on his way home, and I know he means to see what can be done for Alexis, for your father’s sake.’

’Oh, Miss Mohun, how good you are!  I thought you could never forgive us.  And people do say such shocking things.’

’I know they do, and therefore I am going to ask you to tell me exactly what intercourse there has been with Gillian.’

Kalliope did so, and Miss Mohun was struck with the complete accordance of the two accounts, and likewise by the total absence of all attempt at self-justification on Miss White’s part.  If she had in any way been weak, it had been against her will, and her position had been an exceedingly difficult one.  She spoke in as guarded a manner as possible; but to such acute and experienced ears as those of her auditor, it was impossible not to perceive that, while Gillian had been absolutely simple, and unconscious of all but a kind act of patronage, the youth’s imagination had taken fire, and he had become her ardent worshipper; with calf-love, no doubt, but with a distant, humble adoration, which had, whether fortunately or unfortunately, for once found expression in the valentine so summarily rejected.  The drawing and the composition had been the work of many days, and so much against his sister’s protest that it had been sent without her knowledge, after she had thought it given up.  She had only extracted the confession through his uncontrollable despair, which made him almost unfit to attend to his increased work, perhaps by his southern nature exaggerated.