"Nothing of the kind. He had sense enough to understand I would not go." Then, without further thought or preliminary she said: "Sit down here beside me, Maria, I have something very important to say to you. I know that I can perfectly trust you, but I want to hear you tell me so. Can you keep a secret inviolate and sure, Maria?" "If the secret is yours, Agnes, neither in life nor in the hour of death would I tell it." "If you were questioned----" "I should be stupid and dumb; if it was your secret, fire could not burn it out of me." "I believe you. Many times in Boston you must have known that a young man called on me. You may have seen his face." "None of the girls saw his face but Sally Laws; we all knew that he called on you. I should recognize his figure and his walk anywhere, but his face I never saw. Sally said he was as handsome as Apollo." "Such nonsense! He has an open, bright, strong countenance, but there is nothing Greek about him, nothing at all. He is an American, and he loves his native land, and would give his life for her freedom." "And he will come here to see you now?" "Yes, but my father must not know it." "I thought you were always so against anything being done unknown to our parents. When I wanted to write good-bye to Teddy Bowen you would not let me." "I expected you to remind me of this, and at present I can give you no explanation. But I tell you positively that I am doing right. Can you take my word for it?" "I believe in you, Agnes, as if you were the Bible. I know you will only do right." "All that you see or hear or are told about this person must be to you as if you had dreamed a dream, and you must forget that you ever had it." "I have said that I would be faithful. Darling Agnes, you know that you may trust me." "Just suppose that my friend should be seen, and that my father should be told," she was silent a moment in consideration of such an event, and Maria impulsively continued: "In that case I would say it was my friend." "That would not be the truth." "But he might be my friend, we might have become friends, not as he is your friend, nothing like that, just a friend. Are you very fond of him, Agnes?" "I love him as my own life." "And he loves you in that way?" "He loves me! Oh, yes, Maria, he loves me! even as I love him." "Sweetest Agnes, thank you for telling me. I will see what you tell me to see, and hear what you tell me to hear; that, and that only. I will be as true to you as your own heart." "I am sure you will. Some day you shall know all. Now, we will say no more until there is a reason; everything is so uncertain. Tell me about the rout last night."