"Charlotte, I want you to trust me. There is a reason, why you should not become the wife of Mr. Carleton of Alnwick; but I cannot tell you what it is. I cannot so much as hint at its nature. I want you to trust me that this cause does exist; and to act upon it." "To act upon it?" "By declining to become Mrs. Carleton St. John." "No," said Charlotte, very quietly. "What is the cause?" "My darling, I have said that I cannot tell you: and that is why I ask you to trust me as confidently as you did when a little child. The thought came over me just now, while Mr. Carleton was here, to speak openly to him. The next moment I felt faint and sick with dread at the bare thought. I may not tell Mr. Carleton; I will not tell you----" "I do wish you wouldn't call him by that name!" Charlotte interrupted. "My dear, it is that I have fallen into the habit of it," murmured Mrs. Darling. "It's like a scene in a play," exclaimed Charlotte. "I may not marry George St. John for some reason, and I may not know what the reason is! He is not going to turn out my brother, or cousin, I suppose? Rather romantic, that, for these matter-of-fact days!" "Oh, Charlotte, be serious! Do not indulge in nonsense now. You know that you are Charlotte Norris, and that he is George St. John; and that you never were related yet. It is not that: I wish it were nothing else." "What is it?" "I cannot tell you, Charlotte. I cannot; I cannot." "Have you heard anything against him, that you are concealing?" Mrs. Darling lifted her hand to her face, partially hiding it. She did not answer the question. "Charlotte, you know how I love you. Well, I would almost rather see you die, than married to George St. John. No mother ever schemed to get her daughter a husband, as I schemed three years ago to keep you from one, when my suspicions were aroused that you were in danger of loving George St. John." "The danger had ripened," said Charlotte, in low tones. "I did love him." "My poor girl! And _his_ love, though I did not know it then, was given to Caroline Carleton----" "Don't say it!" interrupted Charlotte: and for the second time during their interview Mrs. Darling quailed, the tone was so wild, so full of pain. "I do not wish to be spoken to of his first wife," she added calmly, after a pause. "You will not, surely, be his second, Charlotte! Charlotte, my Charlotte! You will not break my heart!" "You will break mine, if you forbid me to marry Mr. St. John," was the whispered answer. "But indeed, mamma, I think we are talking nonsense," broke off Charlotte. "I am no longer a child. I am nearly nine-and-twenty; and that's rather too old to be told I may not marry, when there's no real cause why I should not do so." "No real cause! What have I been saying, Charlotte?" "I think there is none. I think what you are saying must be a chimera."