"May I ask, has Frank ever spoken?"

"Oh no! I think he implied it all to Camilla when she bade him wait
till our return, fancying, I suppose, that one could forget the
other."

"But why does she seem so friendly with him?"

"It is her way; she can't be other than smooth and caressing, and
likes to have young men about; and I try to be grave and distant,
because--the sooner he is cured of me the better for him," she
uttered, with a sob; "but when he is there, and I see those grieved
eyes of his, I can't keep it up! And papa does like him! Oh! if
Camilla would but leave us alone! See here, Jenny!" and she showed,
on her watch-chain, a bit of ruddy polished pebble. "Is it wrong to
keep this? He and I found the stone in two halves, on the beach,
the last day we were together, and had them set, pretending to one
another it was only play. Sometimes I think I ought to send mine
back; I know he has his, he let me see it one day. Do you think I
ought to give it up?"

"Why should you?"

"Because then he would know that it must be all over."

"But _is_ it all over? Within, I mean?"

"Jenny, you know better!"

"Then, Lenore, if so, and it is only your sister who objects, not
your father himself, ought you to torment poor Frank by acting
indifference when you do not feel it?"

"Am I untrue? I never thought of that. I thought I should be
sacrificing myself for his good!"

"His good? O, Lenore, I believe it is the worst wrong a woman can
do a man, to let him think he has wasted his heart upon her, and
that she is trifling with him. You don't know what a bad effect
this is having, even on his prospects. He cannot get his brain or
spirits free to work for his examination."

"How hard it is to know what is right! Here have I been thinking
that what made me so miserable must be the best for him, and would
it not make it all the worse to relax, and let him see?"

"I do not think so," returned Jenny. "His spirits would not be worn
by doubt of _you_--the worst doubt of all: and he would feel that
he had something to strive for."

Eleonora walked on for some steps in silence, then exclaimed, "Yes,
but there's his family. It would only stir up trouble for them
there. They can't approve of me."

"They don't know you. When they do, they will. Now they only see
what looks like--forgive me, Lena--caprice and coquetry; they will
know you in earnest, if you will let them."

"You don't mean that they know an