yourself?"



"You suppose?" he burst out, with sudden anger. "You might be

sure. The bare idea of seeing him turns me cold. Oh, when shall I



forget! when shall I forget! Who spoke of him first?" he said,

with renewed irritability, after a moment of silence. "You or I?"



"It was my fault, love--he is so harmless and so gentle, and he

has such a sweet face--I thought it might soothe you to see him.



Forgive me; we will never speak of him again. Have you any notes

for me to copy? You know, Lewis, I am your secretary now."



So she led Romayne away to his study and his books. When Major

Hynd arrived, she contrived to be the first to see him. "Say as



litt le as possible about the General's widow and her son," she

whispered.



The Major understood her. "Don't be uneasy, Mrs. Romayne," he

answered. "I know your husband well enough to know what you mean.



Besides, the news I bring is good news."

Romayne came in before he could speak more particularly. When the



servants had left the room, after dinner, the Major made his

report.



"I am going to agreeably surprise you," he began. "All

responsibility toward the General's family is taken off our



hands. The ladies are on their way back to France."

Stella was instantlyreminded of one of the melancholy incidents



associated with her visit to Camp's Hill. "Madame Marillac spoke

of a brother of hers who disapproved of the marriage," she said.



"Has he forgiven her?"

"That is exactly what he has done, Mrs. Romayne. Naturally



enough, he felt the disgrace of his sister's marriage to such a

man as the General. Only the other day he heard for the first



time that she was a widow--and he at once traveled to England. I

bade them good-by yesterday--most happily reunited--on their



journey home again. Ah, I thought you would be glad, Mrs.

Romayne, to hear that the poor widow's troubles are over. Her



brother is rich enough to place them all in easy

circumstances--he is as good a fellow as ever lived."



"Have you seen him?" Stella asked, eagerly.

"I have been with him to the asylum."



"Does the boy go back to France?"

"No. We took the place by surprise, and saw for ourselves how



well conducted it was. The boy has taken a strong liking to the

proprietor--a bright, cheerful old man, who is teaching him some



of our English games, and has given him a pony to ride on. He

burst out crying, poor creature, at the idea of going away--and



his mother burst out crying at the idea of leaving him. It was a

melancholy scene You know what a good mother is--no sacrifice is



too great for her. The boy stays at the asylum, on the chance

that his healthier and happier life there may help to cure him.



By-the-way, Romayne, his uncle desires me to thank you--"

"Hynd! you didn't tell the uncle my name?"



"Don't alarm yourself. He is a gentleman, and when I told him I

was pledged to secrecy, he made but one inquiry--he asked if you



were a rich man. I told him you had eighteen thousand a year."

"Well?"



"Well, he set that matter right between us with perfect taste. He

said: 'I cannot presume to offer repayment to a person so



wealthy. We gratefully accept our obligation to our kind unknown

friend. For the future, however, my nephew's expenses must be



paid from my purse.' Of course I could only agree to that. From

time to time the mother is to hear, and I am to hear, how the boy



goes on. Or, if you like, Romayne--now that the General's family

has left England--I don't see why the proprietor might not make



his report directly to yourself."

"No!" Romayne rejoined, positively. "Let things remain as they



are."

Very well. I can send you any letters that I may receive from the



asylum. Will you give us some music, Mrs. Romayne? Not to-night?

Then let us go to the billiard-room; and as I am the worst of bad



players, I will ask you to help me to beat your accomplished

husband."



On the afternoon of the next day, Mrs. Eyrecourt's maid arrived

at Ten Acres with a note from her mistress.



"Dearest Stella--Matilda must bring you my excuses for to-day. I

don't in the least understand it, but I seem to have turned lazy.

• anywhere [´eniweə] ad.无论何处；任何地方 (初中英语单词)


• glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)


• wherever [weər´evə] conj.无论在哪里 (初中英语单词)


• gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)


• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• shakespeare [´ʃeikspiə] n.莎士比亚 (初中英语单词)


• moonlight [´mu:nlait] n.&a.月光(的) (初中英语单词)


• complain [kəm´plein] vi.抱怨，叫屈；控诉 (初中英语单词)


• firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• measurement [´meʒəmənt] n.测量；尺寸；宽度 (初中英语单词)


• employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)


• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• devotion [di´vəuʃən] n.献身；忠诚；热爱 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• severe [si´viə] a.严厉的；苛刻的 (初中英语单词)


• persuade [pə´sweid] v.(被)说服；使相信 (初中英语单词)


• darling [´dɑ:liŋ] n.爱人 a.亲爱的 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)


• absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)


• sentence [´sentəns] n.判决 vt.宣判；处刑 (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• disgrace [dis´greis] n.耻辱 vt.玷辱；贬黜 (初中英语单词)


• cheerful [´tʃiəful] a.快乐的；高兴的 (初中英语单词)


• gratefully [´greitfuli] ad.感激地 (初中英语单词)


• obligation [,ɔbli´geiʃən] n.义务；职责；合约 (初中英语单词)


• ghastly [´gɑ:stli] a.苍白的；可怕的 (高中英语单词)


• startling [´stɑ:tliŋ] a.惊人的 (高中英语单词)


• destiny [´destini] n.命运 (高中英语单词)


• obstacle [´ɔbstəkl] n.障碍(物)；妨碍 (高中英语单词)


• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)


• celebration [,seli´breiʃən] n.庆祝(会)；庆典 (高中英语单词)


• symptom [´simptəm] n.症状，症候 (高中英语单词)


• draught [drɑ:ft] n.通风，通气；吸出 (高中英语单词)


• ending [´endiŋ] n.结尾，结局 (高中英语单词)


• naughty [´nɔ:ti] a.顽皮的；下流的 (高中英语单词)


• horrid [´hɔrid] a.令人讨厌的；极糟的 (高中英语单词)


• turtle [´tə:tl] n.海龟；甲鱼 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)


• torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)


• madness [´mædnis] n.疯狂；狂热 (高中英语单词)


• recovery [ri´kʌvəri] n.重获；获得；恢复 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• harmless [´hɑ:mləs] a.无害的，无恶意的 (高中英语单词)


• soothe [su:ð] vt.安慰；镇定；减轻 (高中英语单词)


• uneasy [ʌn´i:zi] a.不安的；不自在的 (高中英语单词)


• melancholy [´melənkəli] n.忧郁 a.忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• presume [pri´zju:m] v.假定；推测；以为 (高中英语单词)


• proprietor [prə´praiətə] n.所有人；业主；经营者 (高中英语单词)


• positively [´pɔzətivli] ad.确实；断然；绝对 (高中英语单词)


• forgiven [fə´givn] forgive的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• submission [səb´miʃən] n.屈服；谦恭 (英语四级单词)


• speedy [´spi:di] a.快的，迅速的 (英语四级单词)


• allusion [ə´lu:ʒən] n.暗指；提及；引喻 (英语四级单词)


• unusually [ʌn´ju:ʒuəli] ad.异常地；非常 (英语四级单词)


• undertook [,ʌndə´tuk] undertake的过去式 (英语四级单词)


• hereditary [hi´reditəri] a.遗传的；世袭的 (英语四级单词)


• traveled [´trævəld] a.见面广的；旅客多的 (英语四级单词)


• secrecy [´si:krəsi] n.保密；秘密 (英语四级单词)


• wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• contemptible [kən´temptəbəl] a.可鄙的；可轻视的 (英语六级单词)


• shrank [ʃræŋk] shrink的过去式 (英语六级单词)


• reluctance [ri´lʌktəns] n.不愿；勉强 (英语六级单词)


• liking [´laikiŋ] n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 (英语六级单词)


• asylum [ə´sailəm] n.避难所，收容所 (英语六级单词)