ng of the Kilcoran ball, when he was ready to eat me
up for saying something he fancied was a hint of a liking of Guy's
for Laura. It was a wild mistake, for something I said about Petrarch,
forgetting that Petrarch suggested Laura; but it put him out to a
degree, and he made all manner of denunciations on the horror of Guy's
falling in love with her. Now, as far as I see, Guy is much more in
love with you, or with Deloraine, and the idea argues far more that the
Captain himself is touched.'

'Depend upon it, Charlie, it was this that led to his detecting the true
state of the case. Ever since that he has kept away. It is noble!'

'And what do you think about Laura?'

'Poor child! I doubt if it was well to allow so much intimacy; yet I
don't see how it could have been helped.'

'So you think she is in for it? I hope not; but she has not been herself
of late.'

'I think she misses what she has been used to from him, and thinks him
estranged, but I trust it goes no further. I see she is out of spirits;
I wish I could help her, dear girl, but the worst of all would be to let
her guess the real name and meaning of all this, so I can't venture to
say a word.'

'She is very innocent of novels,' said Charles, 'and that is well. It
would be an unlucky business to have our poor beauty either sitting
'like Patience on a monument', or 'cockit up on a baggage-waggon.' But
that will never be. Philip is not the man to have a wife in barracks. He
would have her like his books, in morocco, or not at all.'

'He would never involve her in discomforts. He may be entirely trusted,
and as long as he goes on as he has begun, there is no harm done; Laura
will cheer up, will only consider him as her cousin and friend, and
never know he has felt more for her.'

'Her going to Ireland is very fortunate.'

'It has made me still more glad that the plan should take place at
once.'

'And you say "nothing to nobody"?'

'Of course not. We must not let him guess we have observed anything;
there is no need to make your father uncomfortable, and such things need
not dawn on Amy's imagination.'

It may be wondered at that Mrs. Edmonstone should confide such a subject
to her son, but she knew that in a case really affecting his sister,
and thus introduced, his silence was secure. In fact, confidence was the
only way to prevent the shrewd, unscrupulous raillery which would have
caused great distress, and perhaps led to the very disclosure to b