there is no reverence, and little reticence,
nowadays. Girls talk of falling in love, or men felling in love with
them, as lightly as they would speak of going to a ball. They do not
consider the responsibility, the awfulness, of such an election, being
chosen out of a whole worldful of women to be the light and life of a
man's home. Oh, it hurts me to hear some girls talk!' she finished, with
a slight shudder.

Knowing the purity and uprightness of this girl's nature, I confess I
hesitated long in intruding myself into that inner sanctuary that she
guarded so carefully; but for Max's sake--poor Max, who grew more
tired-looking and haggard every day--I felt it would be cruel to hesitate
longer.

So one evening, when we were sitting quietly together enjoying the cool
evening air, I took Gladys's thin hand in mine and asked her if she felt
well enough for me to talk to her about something that had long troubled
me, and that I feared speaking to her about, dreading lest I should
displease her. I thought she looked a little apprehensive at my
seriousness, but she replied very sweetly, and the tears came into her
beautiful eyes as she spoke, that nothing I could say or do could
displease her; that I was so true a friend to her that it would be
impossible for her to take offence.

'I am glad of that, Gladys dear,' I returned quietly; 'for I have long
wanted courage to ask you a question. What is the real reason of your
estrangement from Max?' and then, growing bolder, I whispered in her ear,
as she shrank from me, 'I do not ask what are your feelings to him, for I
think I have guessed them,--unless, indeed, I am wrong, and you prefer
your cousin Captain Hamilton.' I almost feared that I had been too abrupt
and awkward when I saw her sudden paleness: she began to tremble like a
leaf until I mentioned Captain Hamilton's name, and then she turned to me
with a look of mingled astonishment and indignation.

'Claude? Are you out of your senses, Ursula? Who has put such an idea
into your head?'

I remembered Uncle Max's injunctions to secrecy, and felt I must be
careful.

'I thought that it could not be Captain Hamilton,' I returned, rather
lamely: 'you have never mentioned his name to me.' But she interrupted me
in a tone of poignant distress, and there was a sudden trouble in her
eyes, brought there by my mention of Claude.

'Oh, this is dreadful!' she exclaimed: 'you come to me and talk about
Claude, knowing all the time