y wretched, there was--there
was--something else."

"Something else?"

"A man told me the day before that I had broken his heart,--oh, Paul,
don't start. He was not a man I could ever have given a thought to. He
was not one I should ever have spoken to--in that way. Only our village
doctor's assistant, and the rest of us hardly knew that he existed,--but
I, I was so unhappy, even before you came to Boldero, that I let myself
go,--that is, I let the poor silly creature run up a kind of friendship
with me. That was all, Paul; truthfully it was--on my part. I amused
myself with him--a little; and then--and then----"

"What was fun to you was death to him?"

"It had no right to be," said Leo, with dignity. "It never went any
length; we only just met each other once or twice, and----"

"Flirted?"

"Not even that. I let him adore," she laughed, but shamefacedly--"and he
mistook."

"I see."

"Paul, dear, I am not excusing myself; only I do not think, I do not
think that wretched Tommy Andrews ought ever to have presumed--it was
frightful, it was untrue what he said. I did _not_ break his disgusting
heart----"

"Oh, Leo!" Paul tried not to laugh.

"But he made me think I had. He accused me of it, and I was in such a
state at the time that I believed him, and it drove me wild. It was the
last straw, the finishing touch. I seemed not only to have made a mess
of my own poor life, but of another's--and while I was very angry and
contemptuous, I was enraged with myself for being so. I stormed and
raved when I was alone, and vowed to end it all,--but I know now that
I--Sue says I was not accountable, Paul,--" wistfully.

"Sue is right, dearest. Your nerves were altogether unstrung. You were
overstrained and off your balance for the time being."

"Had--had you noticed anything, Paul?"

"Everything. It was that which made me fear--and follow you."

"At night I hardly slept at all. And, I couldn't eat; I loathed food. I
may tell you all this, mayn't I? It just kills me to keep things to
myself; doing _that_ was what, I think, began it all."

"You shall tell me everything," said he.

* * * * *

"Well, but Paul," after an interlude, "there is still a mystery; what
are you doing here? And was it not the strangest thing our meeting
here?"

He smiled. "Not so very strange, seeing that this is my usual walk about
this hour."

"Your--what did you say?--your 'usual' walk?"

"Look, Leo."