She waved her hand. ’Leave me alone. Go, Larry, go! I can tell you nothing more! Let me alone! Oh, leave me alone, Larry!’ He could not refuse to obey, her distress was so great, her entreaty so urgent. Silent, filled with despair, with his eyes on the ground, he went along the straight-cut path towards the road, and nearly ran against Kate. ’Oh! you here!’ exclaimed the lively girl, ’then Honor is not far distant. Where is she? What, yonder! and I have been to Langford to look for her. What is the matter? Oh, fiddlesticks! you have been making yourselves and each other miserable. There is no occasion for that till all is desperate, and it is not so yet. Come along, Larry, back to Honor. I must see her; I want to tell her something, and you may as well be by. You are almost one of the family.’ She made him follow her. Honor had recovered her composure when left to herself, unwatched, and she was able to disguise her emotions from her sister. ’Oh, Honor!’ exclaimed Kate, ’I have something to tell you. I think you’ve been a fool, and too precipitate—I do indeed, and so does Sam Voaden. A little while ago I chanced to go down the lane after some water, when, curiously enough, Sam was coming along it, and we had a neighbourly word or two between us. I told Sam all about Charles, and what Mr. Langford charged him with.’ ’Kate—you never—!’ gasped Honor in dismay. ’I did. Why not? Where’s the hurt? Sam swore to me he’d tell no one.’ ’What is this?’ asked Hillary. ’Don’t you know?’ retorted Kate. ’What, has Honor not told you? Faith! there never was another girl like her for padlocking her tongue. I’m sure I could not keep from telling. Sam saw I was in trouble and asked the reason, and my breast was as full as my pitcher, so it overflowed. Well, Honor, Sam is not such a fool as some suppose. He has more sense than all we Luxmores put together—leastways, than we had last night. He says he don’t believe a word of it, and that you was to blame for acting on it till you knew it was true.’ ’It is true. I know it is true,’ said Honor disconsolately. ’It is no use denying it.’ ’But, as Sam said, why act on it till it is proved? Where is Charles? All you know is from Taverner Langford, and he is an interested party; he may be mistaken, or he may put things wrong way on wilfully.’ ’No, Kate, no! You should not have spoken.’ ’But I have spoken. If a pitcher is full, will it not run over the brim? I have been over-full, and have overflowed. That is nature, my nature, and I can’t help it. No hurt is done. Sam will not talk about it to anyone; and what he says shows more sense than is to be found in all the nine heads that go under our cottage roof, wise as you consider yourself, Honor. Sam says nothing ought to be promised or done till Charles has been seen and you have heard what account he can give of himself.’ ’His letter, Kate?’