nd. To tell you the truth,
it is a most delicate matter. I think you will admit as much when you
have heard what I have to say."

Browne accordingly reserved his judgment. His distrust of the woman,
however, was rapidly coming back upon him, and he could not help
feeling that, plausible as her words were, and desirous as she appeared
to be of helping a third person, she was in some way attempting to
deceive himself.

"I beg that you will not consider me at all in the matter," he said,
seeing that he was expected to say something. "I am, as you know, only
too glad to do anything I can to help you. Perhaps it is regarding
Mademoiselle Petrovitch that you desire to speak to me?"

"You have guessed correctly," said madame. "It is about Katherine.
The poor child, as I have reason to know, is in terrible trouble just
now."

"I am indeed sorry to hear that," said Browne, a fear of he knew not
what taking possession of him. "But I hope the trouble is one that can
be easily set right."

"It is possible it may," madame replied. "But I think it depends, if
you will permit me to say so, in a very great measure upon yourself."

"Upon me?" cried the young man, this time with real surprise. "How can
that be? I should never forgive myself if I thought I had made Miss
Petrovitch unhappy."

"Not perhaps exactly in the sense you mean," said madame, moving a
little nearer him, and speaking in a tone that was low and
confidential; "but still you have done so in another way, Monsieur
Browne. Before I go any further, however, it is necessary that I
should remind you that I am an old woman." Here she smiled a little
coquettishly, as if to remind him that her words, in this particular
instance, must not be taken too literally. "I am an old woman," she
continued--"old enough to be your mother, perhaps; at any rate, old
enough to be able to say what I am going to say, without fear of giving
offence, or of having my motives misconstrued. Monsieur Browne, as you
are well aware, Katherine is only a young girl, and, like other young
girls, she has her dreams. Into those dreams you have come, and what
is the result? I will leave it to your common-sense, and perhaps a
little to your vanity, to read between the lines. Had you been
differently situated it would not have mattered. At the time that you
rendered her that great service on the mountains above Merok, she had
no idea who you were. But later on, when you were so kind