"My dear Miss Templeton," began Malcolm in an embarrassed voice, for he was not prepared for this. But Elizabeth would not let him speak. "You must let me have my innings," she said, with a delicious laugh. "I have pent up my feelings for nearly two years, and they must find vent. Mr. Herrick, you have been our benefactor--Dinah's and mine as well as Cedric's. When you held out your generous hand to a stranger--when you saved our poor boy from disgrace and a ruined career, you did far more than you thought--" "Miss Templeton, for pity's sake--" "Please, please, let me finish," a pressure of his arm emphasised her words; "it is so difficult for a woman to hold her tongue. Dinah knows nothing of all this; we dare not tell her--it would break her heart. My sister is too good for this world; you know what I mean Mr. Herrick--she believes too much in other people's goodness, and then when they disappoint her she is quite crushed." "I should have thought Miss Templeton's nature an exceptionally happy one," returned Malcolm. "You are right," and Elizabeth spoke with evident feeling; "but these bright, sunshiny natures have their hours of eclipse. Cedric is her special darling, the object of her tenderest care; if she only knew--" but here she paused, as though her emotions were too strong. "My dear Miss Templeton"--Malcolm was determined to be heard now, he should not be suppressed and silenced any more--"you are making far too much of the trifling service I was able to render to your brother. What was a small loan?" "What was it?" here Elizabeth struck in again; "it was, humanly speaking, life and salvation to a poor weak boy who was on the brink of despair; who was so desperate, with trouble and misery, that he might have fallen deeper and deeper if a Good Samaritan had not passed that way. He has told me since that the thought of Dinah's unhappiness almost drove him crazy, and that he could not have answered for himself. Cedric is a dear lad, but he is not strong." "He has had his lesson. We all enter our kingdom of manhood through some tribulation, Miss Templeton." "Ah, true, but we would gladly spare our belongings such a painful experience. Mr. Herrick, they are waiting for us at the little gate, and I have only time to say one thing more. I offered to help Cedric repay his debt, but he refused. I am glad to say he absolutely refused; he wishes to do it all himself." "I think all the more of him," was Malcolm's answer; "a little self-denial will be good for Cedric. He has already paid the first instalment. Miss Templeton, in return for your confidence, I will be quite frank with you: I do not need the money, as far as that goes he is welcome to every penny, but for Cedric's sake I thought it best to take it. I hope you will understand this."