d the door."

"That was perfectly natural."

"I don't think it was natural at all."

"But--according to Tappington"--

"Because my brother is very good you need not make fun of him."

"I assure you I have no such intention. But what more can I say? I
give you my word that I don't know who that unlucky woman was. No doubt
she may have been some nearsighted neighbor who had mistaken the house,
and I dare say was as thoroughly astonished at my voice as I was at
hers. Can I say more? Is it necessary for me to swear that since I
have been here no woman has ever entered that door--but"--

"But who?"

"Yourself."

"I know what you mean," she said hurriedly, with her old frightened
look, gliding to the outer door. "It's shameful what I've done. But I
only did it because--because I had faith in you, and didn't believe
what they said was true." She had already turned the lock. There were
tears in her pretty eyes.

"Stop," said Herbert gently. He walked slowly towards her, and within
reach of her frightened figure stopped with the timid respect of a
mature and genuine passion. "You must not be seen going out of that
door," he said gravely. "You must let me go first, and, when I am
gone, lock the door again and go through the hall to your own room. No
one must know that I was in the house when you came in at that door.
Good-night."

Without offering his hand he lifted his eyes to her face. The dimples
were all there--and something else. He bowed and passed out.

Ten minutes later he ostentatiously returned to the house by the front
door, and proceeded up the stairs to his own room. As he cast a glance
around he saw that the music-stool had been moved before the fire,
evidently with the view of attracting his attention. Lying upon it,
carefully folded, was the veil that she had worn. There could be no
doubt that it was left there purposely. With a smile at this strange
girl's last characteristic act of timid but compromising recklessness,
after all his precautions, he raised it tenderly to his lips, and then
hastened to hide it from the reach of vulgar eyes. But had Cherry
known that its temporary resting-place that night was under his pillow
she might have doubted his superior caution.

When he returned from the bank the next afternoon, Cherry rapped
ostentatiously at his door. "Mother wishes me to ask you," she began
with a certain prim formality, which nevertheless did not preclude
dimples, "if yo