what mysterious danger is hanging over me. But I hope
there is something of the kind, for I should so like to resemble a
heroine of romance."

"There is not anything very romantic in prospect so far as I know," he
said, now almost wishing he had said nothing, and yet feeling in his
heart a serious fear that Minola might be led to put too much faith in
Blanchet. "But if I might speak out freely, and without any fear of
your misunderstanding me or being offended, there is something, Miss
Grey, that I should very much like to say." He spoke in an uneasy and
constrained way, forcing himself on to an ungracious task.

"You have been preaching distrust to me, Mr. Heron, and you have been
finding fault generally with all women who trust anybody. To show you
how your lessons are thrown away on me, I shall certainly trust you as
much as you like, and I shall not misunderstand anything you say nor be
offended by it." There was something of her old sweet frankness in her
manner as she spoke these words, and Heron was warmed by it.

"Well," he said at last, "you are a girl, and young, and living almost
alone, and people tell me you are going to have money. You have
promised to excuse my blunt way of talking out, haven't you? I almost
wish for your sake, as you like to live this kind of life, that you had
just enough of money to live upon and no more; but I hear that that is
not the case, or at all events is not to be. Well, the only thing is
that people who I think are not true, and are not honest, and who are
not worthy of you in any way whatever, may try to make you think that
they are true, and sincere, and all the rest of it."

"Well, Mr. Heron, what if they do?"

"You may perhaps be persuaded to believe them."

"And even if I am, what matter is that? I had much rather be deceived
in such things than know the truth, if the truth is to mean that people
are all deceitful."

"I don't think you want to understand me," he said.

"Indeed I do; I only want to understand you; but I fail as yet. Why not
speak out, Mr. Heron, like a man and a brother? If there is anything
you want me to know, do please make me to know it in the clearest way."

She was growing impatient.

"You will have lovers," he said, driven to despair when it seemed as if
she could not understand a mere hint of any kind; "of course you must
know that you are attractive and all that--and if you come to have
money, you will be besieged with fellows--with admi