nd surprised a
secret that belonged to you. Don't fancy that I was blaming you; that
was my rough guess at how any woman would feel, most of all you: perhaps
I was wrong. I thought that for you to know might widen the breach, and
destroy all chance of reconciliation. I had to think of him, as well as
of you. Not as well, no; not as much--you know that; but of him too. I
could not tell you till I had told him, and made the matter right--if
you will have it so. You will not let it turn you against him now--this
fact that I was there? It was not his fault: it was an accident, and I
am the only one to blame. I did the best I could, after such lights as I
had."

Still the great eyes kept burning into mine; but they did not hurt so
much as I had expected. "Did you tell Mabel and Jane of this?"

"How could I? It was your secret. What do you take me for, Clarice? I
never breathed a word of it, of course, until I had it out with Jim a
week ago, and brought him to his senses: after that I thought you ought
to know. Mabel and Jane never dreamed that I knew anything beyond what
little you might have told me, or let me see."

Her arms were round my neck now. There was a minute or two of silence: I
really did not know what to say next. Then she looked up, tears in her
eyes, a tone I never could describe in her voice.

"And you have done all this for me, Robert!"

I made a feeble attempt to unloose her hands and draw myself up. "Don't
talk that way, Clarice; it hurts me. You make too much of this; it was a
matter of course, and there is nothing new in it. I thought you knew I
was always ready to do anything I could for you: that is an old story,
as you used to say."

The effort at dignity was not successful, for her head drooped again.
Soon she raised it, a smile chasing the tears away.

"You can triumph over Jane now. She used to say you never could keep a
secret. Did you enjoy keeping this one, Bob?"

"Not exactly. I will keep some more if you insist on it, but it would be
more enjoyable if they were of another sort. No more like this, if it is
the same to you."

"You said you used this as a weapon to master him with. Why didn't you
use it on me? It might have been good for me to be mastered and
overruled."

I had to laugh now. "Jim can try that by and by--if he dares. Other men
may overrule other women, perhaps; I know my place too well. Clarice, it
is not like you to talk nonsense. If I could have consulted you about