r question
implied. "Was that your motive," he asked, "for answering my letter as
cautiously as if you had been writing to a stranger?"

"Indeed you are quite wrong!" Emily earnestly assured him. "I was
perplexed and startled--and I took Mr. Wyvil's advice, before I wrote to
you. Shall we drop the subject?"

Alban would have willingly dropped the subject--but for that unfortunate
allusion to Mr. Wyvil. Emily had unconsciously touched him on a sore
place. He had already heard from Cecilia of the consultation over his
letter, and had disapproved of it. "I think you were wrong to trouble
Mr. Wyvil," he said.

The altered tone of his voice suggested to Emily that he would have
spoken more severely, if Cecilia had not been in the room. She thought
him needlessly ready to complain of a harmless proceeding--and she too
returned to the subject, after having proposed to drop it not a minute
since!

"You didn't tell me I was to keep your letter a secret," she replied.

Cecilia made matters worse--with the best intentions. "I'm sure, Mr.
Morris, my father was only too glad to give Emily his advice."

Alban remained silent--ungraciously silent as Emily thought, after Mr.
Wyvil's kindness to him.

"The thing to regret," she remarked, "is that Mr. Morris allowed Miss
Jethro to leave him without explaining herself. In his place, I should
have insisted on knowing why she wanted to prevent me from meeting Mr.
Mirabel in this house."

Cecilia made another unlucky attempt at judicious interference. This
time, she tried a gentle remonstrance.

"Remember, Emily, how Mr. Morris was situated. He could hardly be rude
to a lady. And I daresay Miss Jethro had good reasons for not wishing to
explain herself."

Francine opened the drawing-room door and heard Cecilia's last words.

"Miss Jethro again!" she exclaimed.

"Where is Mr. Mirabel?" Emily asked. "I sent him a message."

"He regrets to say he is otherwise engaged for the present," Francine
replied with spiteful politeness. "Don't let me interrupt the
conversation. Who is this Miss Jethro, whose name is on everybody's
lips?"

Alban could keep silent no longer. "We have done with the subject," he
said sharply.

"Because I am here?"

"Because we have said more than enough about Miss Jethro already."

"Speak for yourself, Mr. Morris," Emily answered, resenting the
masterful tone which Alban's interference had assumed. "I have not done
with Miss Jethro yet, I can assure yo