l's discomfited back, lessening in the
perspective, and he answered vaguely to her overture about his night's
rest. Lottie never made any conversation with Breckon, and she now left
him to himself, with some remnants of the disapproval which she found on
her hands after crushing Trannel. It could not be said that Breckon was
aware of her disapproval, and the judge had no apparent consciousness
of it. He and Breckon tried to make something of each other, but failed,
and it all seemed a very defeating sequel to Mrs. Kenton after the
triumphal glow of the evening before. When Lottie rose, she went with
her, alleging her wish to see if Boyne had eaten his breakfast. She
confessed, to Breckon's kind inquiry, that Boyne did not seem very well,
and that she had made him take his breakfast in his room, and she did
not think it necessary to own, even to so friendly a witness as Mr.
Breckon, that Boyne was ashamed to come down, and dreaded meeting
Trannel so much that she was giving him time to recover his self-respect
and courage.

XV.

As soon as she and Lottie were gone Breckon began, rather more
formidably than he liked, but helplessly so: "Judge Kenton, I should be
glad of a few moments with you on--on an important--on a matter that is
important to me."

"Well," said the judge, cautiously. Whatever was coming, he wished to
guard himself from the mistake that he had once so nearly fallen into,
and that still made him catch his breath to think of. "How can I be of
use to you?"

"I don't know that you can be of any use--I don't know that I ought
to speak to you. But I thought you might perhaps save me from--save my
taking a false step."

He looked at Kenton as if he would understand, and Kenton supposed that
he did. He said, "My daughter once mentioned your wish to talk with me."

"Your daughter?" Breckon stared at him in stupefaction.

"Yes; Ellen. She said you wished to consult me about going back to your
charge in New York, when we were on the ship together. But I don't know
that I'm very competent to give advice in such--"

"Oh!" Breckon exclaimed, in a tone of immense relief, which did not
continue itself in what he went on to say. "That! I've quite made up my
mind to go back." He stopped, and then he burst out, "I want to speak
with you about her." The judge sat steady, still resolute not to give
himself away, and the young man scarcely recovered from what had been
a desperate plunge in adding: "I know tha