"But what?" "We are near neighbours, Mr. De Lacy, and your grandfather would tell you that friendship between the De Lacys and the Brandons is impossible. We shall have to be strangers when you leave us, for I don't think we shall ever be enemies." "But why is friendship impossible between us? What barrier is there? I acknowledge none, whatever my grandfather may say." He spoke peremptorily, and Aline sighed. "It is a long story, but I have time to tell it to you this afternoon. Let me sit down, however," she said, for he still clutched her sleeve. He let her go with an apology, and Aline, drawing over one of the chairs that were embroidered by dead-and-gone Brandons, told him the story, only suppressing any accusation of foul play against Sir Rupert. The men who had been friends had become rivals and enemies. Sir Rupert had acquired part of Brandon, and had become wealthy by means of it, while Brandon had gone steadily to the dogs. She left out all the darker shades in the story; but, despite her kindly caution, her listener filled them in for himself. As she went on, he blushed and grew pale alternately. When she had finished there was silence for a few minutes. Then young De Lacy said passionately: "I see you have good reason to hate me and mine." "To hate you! Oh, no! How could we hate you who are quite innocent? And then one does not usually hate--" She paused, and he took up the sentence: "Those one has done good to. But that is Christian forgiveness, Miss Brandon, and I ask for more than that. Listen; whatever fraud, whatever foul play my grandfather used against yours, I abhor a thousand times more than you do. I want none of his ill-gotten wealth. He can do with it what he will. If it were mine I should only strive by hook or by crook to restore it to its rightful owners. Because he has done such things, am I to be cut off from gratitude, from affection, from lasting friendship to those who have nursed and sheltered me? I am not. When I leave these doors you may shut them against me if you will, but you cannot forbid my waiting and watching till they shall open again." He spoke with a boyish impetuosity that swept Aline off her feet. "My dear boy," she said, "why, I only wish that we might be friends. Don't you see that it is because we mustn't be friends that I try to keep our liking and intimacy from taking too strong a hold upon us." "You are not likely to like me too much," he said bitterly. "The kin of the lamb do not love overmuch the wolf that devoured it." "We could like you very well," said Aline simply, "but we must not." He turned away his head disconsolately. "I will take myself off as soon as I can, Miss Brandon," he said with a coldness which did not serve to hide his pain. "I dare say Dr. Rivers will let me go to-morrow. I have been a trouble to you too long." All Aline's tender sympathies swung round to him sharply.