“Burn! burn! there, there!” cried she, “I would not look at any one of them again for the world; I know no more what is in them than if I had never written them, except those horrid, horrid words Clarendon saw and showed me. I cannot bear to think of it. There now,” continued she, as they burned, “no one can ever know anything more about the matter: how glad I am to see them burning!--burnt! safe! The smell will go off in a minute or two. It is going,--yes, gone! is not it? Now we may breathe freely. But you look as if you did not know whether you were glad or sorry, Helen.” “I believe it was right; the general advised me to lock, them up,” said Helen, “but then--” “Did he? how thoughtful of him! But better to burn them at once; I am sure it was not my fault that they were not long ago destroyed. I was assured by that abominable man--but no matter, we will never think of him again. It is done now--no, not completely yet,” said she, looking close at the half white, half black burnt paper, in which words, and whole lines still appeared in shrunken but yet quite legible characters. “One cannot be too careful,” and she trampled on the burnt paper, and scattered the cinders. Helen was anxious to speak, she had something important to say, but hesitated; she saw that Cecilia’s thoughts were so far from what she wanted to speak of that she could not instantly say it; she could not bear to overturn all Cecilia’s present happiness, and yet, said to herself, I must--I must--or what may happen hereafter? Then forcing herself to speak, she began, “Your mother is safe now, Cecilia.” “Oh yes, and thank you, thank you for that--” “Then now, Cecilia--your promise.” “My promise!” Lady Cecilia’s eyes opened in unfeigned astonishment. “What promise?--Oh, I recollect, I promised--did I?” “My dear Cecilia, surely you cannot have forgotten.” “How was it?” “You know the reason I consented was to prevent the danger of any shock to Lady Davenant.” “Well, I know, but what did I promise?” The words had in reality passed Lady Cecilia’s lips at the time without her at all considering them as a promise, only as a means of persuasion to bring Helen to her point. “What did I promise?” repeated she. “You said, ‘As soon as my mother is safe, as soon as she is gone, I will tell my husband all,’--Cecilia, you cannot forget what you promised.” “Oh, no, now I remember it perfectly, but I did not mean so soon. I never imagined you would claim it so soon: but some time I certainly will tell him all.” “Do not put it off, dearest Cecilia. It must be done--let it be done to-day.” “To-day!” Lady Cecilia almost screamed. “I will tell you why,” said Helen. “To-day!” repeated Lady Cecilia. “If we let the present _now_ pass,” continued Helen, “we shall lose both the power and the opportunity, believe me.” “I have not the power, Helen, and I do not know what you mean by the opportunity,” said Cecilia.