I am very sorry I did not, but I imagined--" "Let me hear what you imagined." "I noticed you talked to me a good deal; but I thought you did exactly the same to Lady Grace, and others." "You could not imagine that I talked to others--to any other woman in the world--as I did to you." "I supposed," said Ruth, simply, "that you talked gayly to Lady Grace because it suited her; and more gravely to me, because I am naturally grave.

I thought at the time you were rather clever in adapting yourself to different people so easily; and I was glad that I understood your manner better than some of the others." "Better!" said Charles, bitterly.

"Better, when you thought that of me! No, you need not say anything.

I was in fault, not you.

I don't know what right I had to imagine you understood me--you seemed to understand me--to fancy that we had anything in common, that in time--" He broke into a low wretched laugh.