Until then he would believe that Cecily's fright had been only the effect of Dona Felipa's story, acting upon a vivid imagination, and not a terrible confirmation of something she had herself seen. He threw himself, without undressing, upon his bed in a benumbing agony of doubt. The gentle opening of his door and the slight rustle of a skirt started him to his feet with a feeling of new and overpowering repulsion. But it was a familiar figure that he saw in the long aisle of light which led from his recessed window, whose face was white enough to have been a spirit's, and whose finger was laid upon its pale lips, as it softly closed the door behind it. “Cecily!” “Hush!” she said, in a distracted whisper: “I felt I must see you to-night. I could not wait until day--no, not another hour! I could not speak to you before them. I could not go into that dreadful garden again, or beyond the walls of this house. Dick, I want to--I MUST tell you something! I would have kept it from every one--from you most of all! I know you will hate me, and despise me; but, Dick, listen!”--she caught his hand despairingly, drawing it towards her--“that girl's awful story was TRUE!” She threw his hand away. “And you have seen HER!” said Dick, frantically. “Good God!” The young girl's manner changed. “HER!” she said, half scornfully, “you don't suppose I believe THAT story? No. I--I--don't blame me, Dick,--I have seen HIM.” “Him?” She pushed him nervously into a seat, and sat down beside him. In the half light of the moon, despite her pallor and distraction, she was still very human, womanly, and attractive in her disorder. “Listen to me, Dick. Do you remember one afternoon, when we were riding together, I got ahead of you, and dashed off to the casa. I don't know what possessed me, or WHY I did it. I only know I wanted to get home quickly, and get away from you. No, I was not angry, Dick, at YOU; it did not seem to be THAT; I--well, I confess I was FRIGHTENED--at something, I don't know what. When I wheeled round into the lane, I saw--a man--a young gentleman standing by the garden-wall. He was very picturesque-looking, in his red sash, velvet jacket, and round silver buttons; handsome, but oh, so pale and sad! He looked at me very eagerly, and then suddenly drew back, and I heard you on Chu Chu coming at my heels. You must have seen him and passed him too, I thought: but when you said nothing of it, I--I don't know why, Dick, I said nothing of it too. Don't speak!” she added, with a hurried gesture: “I know NOW why you said nothing,--YOU had not seen him.” She stopped, and put back a wisp of her disordered chestnut hair.