well. As you know, Romayne has concealed
nothing from me. Ought I to have any concealments from _him?_ Ought I
not to tell him about Winterfield?"

Lady Loring started. "You astonish me," she said. "What right has
Romayne to know it?"

"What right have I to keep it a secret from him?"

"My dear Stella! if you had been in any way to blame in that miserable
matter, I should be the last person in the world to advise you to keep
it a secret. But you are innocent of all blame. No man--not even the
man who is soon to be your husband--has a right to know what you have
so unjustly suffered. Think of the humiliation of even speaking of it to
Romayne!"

"I daren't think of it," cried Stella passionately. "But if it is my
duty--"

"It is your duty to consider the consequences," Lady Loring interposed.
"You don't know how such things sometimes rankle in a man's mind. He may
be perfectly willing to do you justice--and yet, there may be moments
when he would doubt if you had told him the whole truth. I speak with
the experience of a married woman. Don't place yourself in _that_
position toward your husband, if you wish for a happy married life."

Stella was not quite convinced yet. "Suppose Romayne finds it out?" she
said.

"He can't possibly find it out. I detest Winterfield, but let us do him
justice. He is no fool. He has his position in the world to keep up--and
that is enough of itself to close his lips. And as for others, there are
only three people now in England who _could_ betray you. I suppose you
can trust your mother, and Lord Loring, and me?"

It was needless to answer such a question as that. Before Stella could
speak again, Lord Loring's voice was audible outside the door. "What!
talking still," he exclaimed. "Not in bed yet?"

"Come in!" cried his wife. "Let us hear what my husband thinks," she
said to Stella.

Lord Loring listened with the closest attention while the subject under
discussion was communicated to him. When the time came to give his
opinion, he sided unhesitatingly with his wife.

"If the fault was yours, even in the slightest degree," he said to
Stella, "Romayne would have a right to be taken into your confidence.
But, my dear child, we, who know the truth, know you to be a pure and
innocent woman. You go to Romayne in every way worthy of him, and you
know that he loves you. If you did tell him that miserable story, he
could only pity you. Do you want to be pitied?"

Those last unanswer