efore the
accident it had met with could be conjectured by those not supposed to
know.

Try as I would I could not induce her to continue the conversation which
had been broken short. The brief interval that had passed since then had
severed the threads of intense emotion which had for the moment united
us, and she, evidently repenting her frankness, was visibly ill at ease.
It was only at the door that her manner warmed a little towards me
again.

"Yes, I believe I am quite all right," she said, in answer to a
question. "I shall not even have a suspicion of a limp." She held out
her hand to me, and did not try to draw it away, though I grasped it
rather longer and more tightly than conventionality might have approved.
"You will come--soon--to see Lady Tressidy and--me?" she asked, softly.

"I thought of calling to-morrow afternoon. May I?"

"I shall be glad--very glad. Never shall I forget your kindness to me
to-day. Don't think me any more--odd--than you can help. Good-bye."

Before I could begin to tell her how impossible it would be to think any
save the most reverent thoughts of her she was gone, and a cloud seemed
suddenly to darken my sky.

CHAPTER VIII

An Announcement

I would have given a year of my life to know what was the trouble and
anxiety which so wrought upon Karine Cunningham. She was young, and it
might be that her youth and her sex caused her mentally to exaggerate
what was in reality a trifle; yet, even with my slight knowledge of her,
I could not believe this to be the case.

Many conjectures passed in review before me, but that which seemed to
carry with it most weight of reason was the idea that her guardian and
his wife were attempting to coerce her into some course which was
distasteful to her. Naturally, the thought of an objectionable lover
occurred to me, and made my blood run the faster through my veins. I
could not forgive the unknown and possible for being a lover, even
though he were to her an objectionable one.

I longed for the next day to come that I might see the beautiful girl
again, but scarcely in the same way that I had longed for it before.
There could be no repetition of the half confidences of to-day, the
suggestions of friendship (friendship--what a mockery!), the adorable
glances which meant trust, and a gratitude which I had not deserved.

Lady Tressidy would unfortunately be present. My visit would ostensibly
be paid to her. Already I began to dislike