er that I more than suspected Charles.

"I know nothing for certain," I said.

"But you have a suspicion?"

"I have a suspicion."

She went to the door to see if it were shut, and then came back and
said, in a whisper:

"So have I."

"Perhaps we suspect the same person?" I said.

She did not answer, but fixed her dark eyes keenly on mine. I had never
noticed before how dark they were.

I saw then that she knew, and that she suspected Charles, just as Sir
George had done.

I nodded.

"Nothing is proved," I said.

"I dared not say even as much as this before," she continued, hurriedly.
"It is only the wildest, vaguest suspicion. I have nothing to take hold
of. It is so horrible to suspect any one; but--"

She stopped suddenly. Her quick ear had caught the sound of a distant
step coming across the hall. In another moment Aurelia came in.

"Are you there, Evelyn?" she said. "I was looking for you, to ask where
the time-table lives. I want to look out my journey for to-morrow. Ralph
ought to do it, but he is up-stairs," with a little pout.

"You ought not to have quarrelled with him until he had made it out for
you," said Evelyn, smiling. "It is a very cross journey, isn't it? Let
me see. You are going to your uncle in Dublin, are not you? You had
better go to London, and start from there. It will be the shortest way
in the end."

The two girls laid their heads together over the Bradshaw, Evelyn's
dark-soft hair making a charming contrast to Aurelia's yellow curls. At
last the journey was made out and duly written down, and a post-card
despatched to the uncle in Dublin.

"Have you seen Ralph anywhere?" asked Aurelia, when she had finished it.
"I am afraid I was a little tiny wee bit cross to him this morning, and
I am so sorry."

Evelyn always seemed to stiffen when Aurelia talked about Ralph, and,
under the pretext of putting her post-card in the letter-bag for her,
she presently left the room, and did not return.

Aurelia sat down on the hearth-rug, and held two plump little hands to
the fire. It was quite impossible to go on writing to Jane while she was
there, and I gave it up accordingly.

"I am glad Evelyn is gone," she said, confidentially. "Do you know why I
am glad?"

I said I could not imagine.

"Because," continued Aurelia, nodding gravely at me, "I want to have a
very, very, _very_ serious conversation with you, Colonel Middleton."

I said I should be charmed, inwardly wondering what