Was he a man of honor? Honor! The name now seemed a mockery. Which way would honor impel him? To give up Katie? What! when she had given up all for him? What! when he had fought a mortal quarrel with Ashby for her? Honor! Was not honor due to Ashby? and had he not been a traitor to his friend? There was this fight yet before him, and it would be soon; for Ashby was free. A fight for Katie! And Talbot was here! She would know all. And she--she who had come all the way from England, who had found him not, who had imagined herself deserted--she would learn of his perfidy. The thought was horrible. Upon such agonizing thoughts as these came Katie's question, "Why are you so sad?" Harry sighed. "I'm thinking of Ashby," said he. "He's free now. He'll soon be seeking you." At this Katie tapped her foot nervously. "Well," said she, "if you are thinking of him it's very bad taste to say so. I wasn't thinking of him at all." But this remark seemed to set Katie off thinking about Ashby, for she too seemed preoccupied. "I think it's a great shame," said she. "What?" "Why, for Mr. Ashby to come bothering me just now." Harry said nothing, and they both relapsed once more into silence. The harder task was before Harry. There were two for him to face. One, the friend to whom he had been traitor; the other, his betrothed, to whom he had been false. Of these two the latter was by far the worse. He had faced Ashby already, and could face him again, as a mortal enemy, to fight a mortal battle; but Talbot! Ah! with what eyes could he look upon that pure and noble face? with what words could he address her? Katie's thoughts seemed to be running in that channel which Harry was using for his own; for she suddenly looked at him with earnest scrutiny, and said, abruptly, "But you are as bad." "As bad?" "As bad as me." Harry sighed. "Mr. Ashby," said Katie, innocently, "will want to see you too, you know." "Of course," said Harry. "Oh well, then," said Katie, "I needn't see him at all. You can explain it all; for really I hardly know what I can possibly find to say to him." "I'm afraid," said Harry, "that he will insist on seeing you, and on learning his fate from your own lips." "His fate!" said Katie--"oh dear!" "I would take all the difficulty from you if I could," said Harry, "but I don't see how I can."