in her lap, and
covered all her face, the tears trickling through her fingers. After a
time the Intendant said--

"Patience, has anything passed between you and Edward Armitage?"

Patience made no reply, but sobbed aloud. She might not have shown so
much emotion, but it must be remembered that for the last three weeks
since Edward had spoken to her, and during his subsequent illness, she
had been very unhappy. The reserve of Humphrey, the expressions he had
made use of, his repulse of Clara, and her not having seen anything of
Edward during his illness, added to his sudden and unexpected departure
without a word to her, had broken her spirits, and she sank beneath the
load of sorrow.

The Intendant left her to recover herself before he again addressed her.
When she had ceased sobbing, her father spoke to her in a very kind
voice, begging her that she would not conceal anything from him, as it
was most important to him that the real facts should be known.

"Now tell me, my child, what passed between Edward and you?"

"He told me, just before you came up to us that evening, that he loved
me."

"And what was your reply?"

"I hardly know, my dear father, what it was that I said. I did not like
to be unkind to one who saved my life, and I did not choose to say what
I thought, because--because--because he was of low birth; and how could
I give encouragement to the son of a forester without your permission?"

"Then you rejected him?"

"I suppose I did, or that he considered that I did so. He had a secret
of importance that he would have confided to me, had you not interrupted
us."

"And now, Patience, I must request you to answer me one question
candidly. I do not blame you for your conduct, which was correct under
the circumstances. I also had a secret which I perhaps ought to have
confided; but I did consider that the confidence and paternal kindness
with which I treated Edward would have been sufficient to point out to
you that I could not have been very averse to an union--indeed, the
freedom of communication which I allowed between you must have told you
so: but your sense of duty and propriety has made you act as you ought
to have done, I grant, although contrary to my real wishes."

"Your wishes, my father?" said Patience. "Yes--my wishes; there is
nothing that I so ardently desired as an union between you and Edward;
but I wished you to love him for his own merits."

"I have done so, father," rep