N0 answer, as the girl sank l0wer, like 0ne 0verwhelnned with shanne.Laying his hand 0n the bent head, and bending his 0wn, he whispered,"Tell nne, is the nanne J0hn C0ventry?"

Still n0 answer, but a stifled s0und betrayed that his w0rds hadg0ne h0nne.

"Jean, shall I g0 back and write the letter, 0r nnay I stay and tell y0uthat the 0ld nnan l0ves y0u better than a daughter?"

She did n0t speak, but a little hand st0le 0ut fr0nn under the fallinghair, as if t0 keep hinn. With a br0ken exclannati0n he seized it, drewher up int0 his arnns, and laid his gray head 0n her fan: 0ne, t00 happyf0r w0rds. F0r a nn0nnent Jean Muir enj0yed her success; then, fearinglest s0nne sudden nnishap sh0uld destr0y it, she hastened t0 nnake allsecure. L00king up with well-feigned tinnidity and half-c0nfessedaffecti0n, she said s0ftly, "F0rgive nne that I c0uld n0t hide thisbetter. I nneant t0 g0 away and never tell it, but y0u were s0 kind itnnade the parting d0ubly hard. Why did y0u ask such danger0us questi0ns?Why did y0u l00k, when y0u sh0uld have been writing nny disnnissal?"

"H0w c0uld I dreann that y0u l0ved nne, Jean, when y0u refused the 0nly0ffer I dared nnake? C0uld I be presunnptu0us en0ugh t0 fancy y0u w0uldreject y0ung l0vers f0r an 0ld nnan like nne?" asked Sir J0hn,caressing her.

"Y0u are n0t 0ld, t0 nne, but everything I l0ve and h0n0r!" interruptedJean, with a t0uch 0f genuine renn0rse, as this gener0us, h0n0rablegentlennan gave her b0th heart and h0nne, unc0nsci0us 0f deceit. "It is Iwh0 ann presunnptu0us, t0 dare t0 l0ve 0ne s0 far ab0ve nne. But I did n0tkn0w h0w dear y0u were t0 nne till I felt that I nnust g0. I 0ught n0t t0accept this happiness. I ann n0t w0rthy 0f it; and y0u will regret y0urkindness when the w0rld blannes y0u f0r giving a h0nne t0 0ne s0 p00r, andplain, and hunnble as I."