He did not understand the circumstances." [Illustration: "'I DON'T THINK YOU OUGHT TO TAKE THIS LETTER'"] "What circumstances ?" I asked.
She gave me a look as if she were going to take aim at me and wanted to be sure of my position.

Then she said: "Percy told us he thought you were courting Mrs.Chester.That was pure impertinence on his part, and perhaps what father said at the table was impertinence too, but I know he said it because he thought there might be something in Percy's chatter, and that you ought to understand how things stood.
Now, you may think it impertinence on my part if you choose, but it really does seem to me that you are very much interested in Mrs.
Chester.

Didn't you intend to walk down to the Holly Sprig when you were starting out by yourself this morning ?" "Yes," said I, "I did." "I thought so," she replied.

"That, of course, was your own business, and what father said about her being unwilling to marry again need not have made any difference to you if you had chosen not to mind it.

But now, don't you think, if you look at the matter fairly and squarely, it would be pretty hard on Mrs.Chester if you were to go down to her and make her understand that she really is a widow, and that now she is free to listen to you if you want to say anything to her?
This may sound a little hard and cruel, but don't you think it is the way she would have to look at it ?" She stopped as she spoke, and I turned and stood silent, looking at her.
"My first thought was," she said, "to advise you to tell father about all this, and take his advice about telling her, but I don't think you would like that.