her person to be
bound by a vow of which you have not told him?"

"I never thought he could," sighed she.

"And you know he was entrapped!" said Julius, roused to defend his
brother.

"And by whom?" she said in accents of deep pain.

"I should have thought it just--both by your poor sister and by him--
to undo the wrong then wrought," said Julius, "unless, indeed, you
have some further cause for distrusting him?"

"No! no!" cried she. "Oh, Julius! I do it for his own good. Your
mother knows not what she wishes, in trying to entangle him again
with me."

"Lenore, will you tell me if anything in him besides that unhappy
slip makes you distrust him?"

"I must tell the whole truth," gasped the poor girl, as they walked
along in the sound of the sea, the dark path here and there
brightened by the gas-lights, "or you will think it is his fault!
Julius, I know more about my poor father than ever I did before. I
was a child when I lived here before, and then Camilla took all the
management. When we came to London, two months ago, I soon saw the
kind of people he got round him for his comforters. I knew how he
spent his evenings. It is second nature to him--he can't get put of
it, I believe! I persuaded him to come down here, thinking it a
haven of peace and safety. Alas! I little knew what old habits
there were to resume, nor what was the real reason Camilla brought
us away after paying our debts. I was a happy child _then_, when I
only knew that papa was gone to his club. Now I know that it is a
billiard-room--and that it is doing all the more harm because he is
there--and I see him with people whom he does not like me to speak
to. I don't know whether I could get him away, and it would be as
bad anywhere else. I don't think he can help it. And he is often
unwell; he can't do without me when he has the gout, and I ought not
to leave him to himself. And then, if--if we did marry and he lived
with us in London, think what it would be for Frank to have such a
set brought about him. I don't see how he could keep them off. Or
even an engagement bringing him down here--or anywhere, among papa's
friends would be very bad for him. I saw it in London, even with
Camilla to keep things in check." She was almost choked with
suppressed agony.

"I see," said Julius, gravely and pitifully, "it would take a man of
more age and weight than poor Frank to deal with the habits of a
lifetime. The risk is great."