caught her partner by the arm。
〃The heat！〃 she said； faintly。 〃Take me awaytake me into the
air！〃
Lieutenant Crayford instantly led her out of the dance； and took
her into the cool and empty conservatory； at the end of the room。
As a matter of course； Captain Helding and Mrs。 Crayford left the
quadrille at the same time。 The captain saw his way to a joke。
〃Is this the trance coming on？〃 he whispered。 〃If it is； as
commander of the Arctic expedition； I have a particular request
to make。 Will the Second Sight oblige me by seeing the shortest
way to the Northwest Passage； before we leave England？〃
Mrs。 Crayford declined to humor the joke。 〃If you will excuse my
leaving you；〃 she said quietly； 〃I will try and find out what is
the matter with Miss Burnham。〃
At the entrance to the conservatory； Mrs。 Crayford encountered
her husband。 The lieutenant was of middle age； tall and comely。 A
man with a winning simplicity and gentleness in his manner； and
an irresistible kindness in his brave blue eyes。 In one word； a
man whom everybody lovedincluding his wife。
〃Don't be alarmed；〃 said the lieutenant。 〃The heat has overcome
herthat's all。〃
Mrs。 Crayford shook her head； and looked at her husband； half
satirically； half fondly。
〃You dear old innocent！〃 she exclaimed； 〃that excuse may do for
_you_。 For my part； I don't believe a word of it。 Go and get
another partner； and leave Clara to me。〃
She entered the conservatory and seated herself by Clara's side。
Chapter 2。
〃Now； my dear！〃 Mrs。 Crayford began； 〃what does this mean？〃
〃Nothing。〃
〃That won't do； Clara。 Try again。〃
〃The heat of the room〃
〃That won't do； either。 Say that you choose to keep your own
secrets； and I shall understand what you mean。〃
Clara's sad； clear gray eyes looked up for the first time in Mrs。
Crayford's face； and suddenly became dimmed with tears。
〃If I only dared tell you！〃 she murmured。 〃I hold so to your good
opinion of me； Lucyand I am so afraid of losing it。〃
Mrs。 Crayford's manner changed。 Her eyes rested gravely and
anxiously on Clara's face。
〃You know as well as I do that nothing can shake my affection for
you；〃 she said。 〃Do justice； my child； to your old friend。 There
is nobody here to listen to what we say。 Open your heart； Clara。
I see you are in trouble； and I want to comfort you。〃
Clara began to yield。 In other words； she began to make
conditions。
〃Will you promise to keep what I tell you a secret from every
living creature？〃 she began。
Mrs。 Crayford met that question； by putting a question on her
side。
〃Does 'every living creature' include my husband？〃
〃Your husband more than anybody！ I love him； I revere him。 He is
so noble； he is so good！ If I told him what I am going to tell
you； he would despise me。 Own it plainly； Lucy； if I am asking
too much in asking you to keep a secret from your husband。〃
〃Nonsense； child！ When you are married； you will know that the
easiest of all secrets to keep is a secret from your husband。 I
give you my promise。 Now begin！〃
Clara hesitated painfully。
〃I don't know how to begin！〃 she exclaimed； with a burst of
despair。 〃The words won't come to me。〃
〃Then I must help you。 Do you feel ill tonight？ Do you feel as
you felt that day when you were with my sister and me in the
garden？〃
〃Oh no。〃
〃You are not ill； you are not really affected by the heatand
yet you turn as pale as ashes； and you are obliged to leave the
quadrille！ There must be some reason for this。〃
〃There is a reason。 Captain Helding〃
〃Captain Helding！ What in the name of wonder has the captain to
do with it？〃
〃He told you something about the _Atalanta_。 He said the
_Atalanta_ was expected back from Africa immediately。〃
〃Well； and what of that？ Is there anybody in whom you are
interested coming home in the ship？〃
〃Somebody whom I am afraid of is coming home in the ship。〃
Mrs。 Crayford's magnificent black eyes opened wide in amazement。
〃My dear Clara！ do you really mean what you say？〃
〃Wait a little； Lucy； and you shall judge for yourself。 We must
go backif I am to make you understand meto the year before we
knew each otherto the last year of my father's life。 Did I ever
tell you that my father moved southward； for the sake of his
health； to a house in Kent that was lent to him by a friend？〃
〃No； my dear； I don't remember ever hearing of the house in Kent。
Tell me about it。〃
〃There is nothing to tell； except this： the new house was near a
fine country…seat standing in its own park。 The owner of the
place was a gentleman named Wardour。 He； too； was one of my
father's Kentish friends。 He had an only son。〃
She paused； and played nervously with her fan。 Mrs。 Crayford
looked at her attentively。 Clara's eyes remained fixed on her
fanClara said no more。 〃What was the son's name？〃 asked Mrs。
Crayford； quietly。
〃Richard。〃
〃Am I right； Clara； in suspecting that Mr。 Richard Wardour
admired you？〃
The question produced its intended effect。 The question helped
Clara to go on。
〃I hardly knew at first；〃 she said； 〃whether he admired me or
not。 He was very strange in his waysheadstrong； terribly
headstrong and passionate； but generous and affectionate in spite
of his faults of temper。 Can you understand such a character？〃
〃Such characters exist by thousands。 I have my faults of temper。
I begin to like Richard already。 Go on。〃
〃The days went by； Lucy； and the weeks went by。 We were thrown
very much together。 I began； little by little； to have some
suspicion of the truth。〃
〃And Richard helped to confirm your suspicions； of course？
〃No。 He was notunhappily for mehe was not that sort of man。
He never spoke of the feeling with which he regarded me。 It was I
who saw it。 I couldn't help seeing it。 I did all I could to show
that I was willing to be a sister to him； and that I could never
be anything else。 He did not understand me； or he would not； I
can't say which。〃
〃'Would not；' is the most likely； my dear。 Go on。〃
〃It might have been as you say。 There was a strange； rough
bashfulness about him。 He confused and puzzled me。 He never spoke
out。 He seemed to treat me as if our future lives had been
provided for while we were
children。 What could I do； Lucy？〃
〃Do？ You could have asked your father to end the difficulty for
you。〃
〃Impossible！ You forget what I have just told you。 My father was
suffering at that time under the illness which afterward caused
his death。 He was quite unfit to interfere。〃
〃Was there no one else who could help you？〃
〃No one。〃
〃No lady in whom you could confide？〃
〃I had acquaintances among the ladies in the neighborhood。 I had
no friends。〃
〃What did you do； then？〃
〃Nothing。 I hesitated； I put off coming to an explanation with
him； unfortunately； until it was too late。〃
〃What do you mean by too late？〃
〃You shall hear。 I ought to have told you that Richard Wardour is
in the navy〃
〃Indeed！ I am more interested in him than ever。 Well？〃
〃One spring day Richard came to our house to take leave of us
before he joined his ship。 I thought he was gone； and I went into
the next room。 It was my own sitting…room； and it opened on to
the garden。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃Richard must have been watching me。 He suddenly appeared in the
garden。 Without waiting for me to invite him； he walked into the
room。 I was a little startled as well as surprised； but I managed
to hide it。 I said； 'What is it； Mr。 Wardour？' He stepped close
up to me； he said； in his quick； rough way： 'Clara！ I am going to
the African coast。 If I live； I shall come back promoted； and we
both know what will happen then。' He kissed me。 I was half
frightened； half angry。 Before I could compose myself to say a
word； he was out in the garden againhe was gone！ I ought to
have spoken； I know。 It was not honorable； not kind toward him。
You can't reproach me for my want of courage and frankness more
bitterly than I reproach myself！〃
〃My dear child； I don't reproach you。 I only think you might have
written to him。〃
〃I did write。〃
〃Plainly？〃
〃Yes。 I told him in so many words that he was deceiving himself；
and that I could never marry him。〃
〃Plain enough； in all conscience！ Having said that； surely you
are not to blame。 What are you fretting about now？〃
〃Suppose my letter has never reached him？〃
〃Why should you suppose anything of the sort？〃
〃What I wrote required an answer； Lucy_asked_ for an answer。
The answer has never come。 What is the plain conclusion？ My
letter has never reached him。 And the _Atalanta_ is expected
back！ Richard Wardour is returning to EnglandRichard Wardour
will claim me as his wife！ You wondered just now if I really
meant what I said。 Do you doubt it still？〃
Mrs。 Crayford leaned back absently in her chair。 For the first
time since the conversation had begun； she let a question pass
without making a reply。 The truth is； Mrs。 Crayford was thinking。
She saw Clara's position plainly； she understood the disturbing
effect of it on the mind of a young girl。 Still； making all
allowances； she felt quite at a loss； so far； to account for
Clara's excessive agitation。 Her quick observing faculty had just
detected that Clara's face showed no signs of relief； now that
she had unburdened herself of her secret。 There was something
clearly under the surface heresomething of importance that
still remained to be discovered。 A shrewd doubt crossed Mrs。
Crayford's mind； and inspired the next words which she addressed
to her young friend。
〃My dear；〃 she said abruptly； 〃have you told me all？〃
Clara started as if the question terrified her。 Feeling sure that
she now had the clew in her hand； Mrs。 Crayford deliberately
repeated her question； in another form of words。 Instead of
answering； Clara suddenly looked up。 At the same moment a faint
flush of color appeared in her face for the first time。
Looking up instinctively on her side； Mrs。 Crayford became aware
of the presence； in the conservatory； of a young gentleman who
was claiming Clara as his partner in the coming waltz。 Mrs。
Crayford fell into thinking once more。 Had this young gentleman
（she asked herself） anything to do with the untold end of the
story？ Was