"I did not know but that you had so greatly enjoyed your morning drive as to go away in a fit of absent-mindedness. I have been sitting here alone an hour." "I could not know that. When I drove up I saw that I should be _de trop_," he replied, as they sauntered to an adjacent grove. "Now, Graydon, you know that is never true, so far as I am concerned." "The trouble is, Miss Wildmere, others are concerned in such a way that the only resource left me is to keep my distance." "Mr. Arnault has returned to the city," she said, with what appeared a great sigh of relief. "I am perfectly free now." "Till Mr. Arnault returns." "I cannot help his return." "Oh, no. I do not question his right to come back, or even to buy this hotel and turn us all out." "Please don't talk about him any more. I'm doing the best I can." "I believe you think so, but I cannot think it will prove the best for any one. It is not what I expected or even imagined. You are acting from a mistaken sense of duty, and I am more sorry every day that you can commit such an error. Look at it in its true light, Stella. I cannot believe you are deceiving me: you must be leading Mr. Arnault to entertain a false hope." "Graydon, I have refused Mr. Arnault, and he will take no refusal." "You can refuse him in such a way that he must take it at once and forever." "You don't know--" she began, tears coming into her eyes. "No; you have only led me to surmise a great deal by implication." "What would become of mamma and my little sister if papa should fail utterly?" and tears came faster. No one could be more pathetic than Miss Wildmere when she chose. "Can you not trust me for them as well as for yourself?" "Oh, Mr. Muir, I know you mean most generously and kindly, but papa is so anxious and fearful! He tries to keep up before others, but I know how he feels, and it's terrible. He is past middle age, and business success means very much to him. How can I do anything to harm him? I know so little about business and its perils, while papa thinks there may be terrible dangers ahead for every one. You might have the good-will to help us and yet soon be scarcely able to help yourself. I have been made to feel that the best I could do through these troublous times was to try to aid papa as far as possible, and then I shouldn't have anything with which to reproach myself." Graydon was perplexed. Apparently she was doing wrong in the most self-sacrificing spirit, and believed that doing right, which would end her abnegation, was wrong and selfish.