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new object of the old gentleman's idolatry； and she took no pains
to disguise her jealous resentment on discovering us together。
Major Fitz…David set matters right in his own irresistible way。
He kissed the hand of the overdressed girl as devotedly as he had
kissed mine； he told her she was looking charmingly。 Then he led
her； with his happy mixture of admiration and respect； back to
the door by which she had entereda second door communicating
directly with the hall。
〃No apology is necessary； my dear；〃 he said。 〃This lady is with
me on a matter of business。 You will find your singing…master
waiting for you upstairs。 Begin your lesson； and I will join you
in a few minutes。 _Au revoir_； my charming pupil_au revoir。_〃
The young lady answered this polite little speech in a
whisperwith her round eyes fixed distrustfully on me while she
spoke。 The door closed on her。 Major Fitz…David was a t liberty
to set matters right with me； in my turn。
〃I call that young person one of my happy discoveries；〃 said the
old gentleman； complacently。 〃She possesses； I don't hesitate to
say； the finest soprano voice in Europe。 Would you believe it； I
met with her at the railway station。 She was behind the counter
in a refreshment…room； poor innocent； rinsing wine…glasses； and
singing over her work。 Good Heavens； such singing！ Her upper
notes electrified me。 I said to myself； 'Here is a born prima
donnaI will bring her out！' She is the third I have brought out
in my time。 I shall take her to Italy when her education is
sufficiently advanced； and perfect her at Milan。 In that
unsophisticated girl； my dear lady； you see one of the future
Queens of Song。 Listen！ She is beginning her scales。 What a
voice！ Brava！ Brava！ Bravissima！〃
The high soprano notes of the future Queen of Song rang through
the house as he spoke。 Of the loudness of the young lady's voice
there could be no sort of doubt。 The sweetness and the purity of
it admitted； in my opinion； of considerable dispute。
Having said the polite words which the occasion rendered
necessary； I ventured to recall Major Fitz…David to the subject
in discussion between us when his visitor had entered the room。
The Major was very unwilling to return to the perilous topic on
which we had just touched when the interruption occurred。 He beat
time with his forefinger to the singing upstairs； he asked me
about _my_ voice； and whether I sang； he remarked that life would
be intolerable to him without Love and Art。 A man in my place
would have lost all patience； and would have given up the
struggle in disgust。 Being a woman； and having my end in view； my
resolution was invincible。 I fairly wore out the Major's
resistance； and compelled him to surrender at discretion。 It is
only justice to add that； when he did make up his mind to speak
to me again of Eustace； he spoke frankly； and spoke to the point。
〃I have known your husband；〃 he began； 〃since the time when he
was a boy。 At a certain period of his past life a terrible
misfortune fell upon him。 The secret of that misfortune is known
to his friends； and is religiously kept by his friends。 It is the
secret that he is keeping from You。 He will never tell it to you
as long as he lives。 And he has bound _me_ not to tell it； under
a promise given on my word of honor。 You wished； dear Mrs。
Woodville； to be made acquainted with my position toward Eustace。
There it is！〃
〃You persist in calling me Mrs。 Woodville；〃 I said。
〃Your husband wishes me to persist；〃 the Major answered。 〃He
assumed the name of Woodville； fearing to give his own name； when
he first called at your uncle's house。 He will now acknowledge no
other。 Remonstrance is useless。 You must do what we doyou must
give way to an unreasonable man。 The best fellow in the world in
other respects： in this one matter as obstinate and self…willed
as he can be。 If you ask me my opinion； I tell you honestly that
I think he was wrong in courting and marrying you under his false
name。 He trusted his honor and his happiness to your keeping in
making you hiswife。 Why should he not trust the story of his
troubles to you as well？ His mother quite shares my opinion in
this matter。 You must not blame her for refusing to admit you
into her confidence after your marriage： it was then too late。
Before your marriage she did all she could dowithout betraying
secrets which； as a good mother； she was bound to respectto
induce her son to act justly toward you。 I commit no indiscretion
when I tell you that she refused to sanction your marriage mainly
for the reason that Eustace refused to follow her advice； and to
tell you what his position really was。 On my part I did all I
could to support Mrs。 Macallan in the course that she took。 When
Eustace wrote to tell me that he had engaged himself to marry a
niece of my good friend Doctor Starkweather； and that he had
mentioned me as his reference； I wrote back to warn him that I
would have nothing to do with the affair unless he revealed the
whole truth about himself to his future wife。 He refused to
listen to me； as he had refused to listen to his mother； and he
held me at the same time to my promise to keep his secret。 When
Starkweather wrote to me； I had no choice but to involve myself
in a deception of which I thoroughly disapproved； or to answer in
a tone so guarded and so brief as to stop the correspondence at
the outset。 I chose the last alternative； and I fear I have
offended my good old friend。 You now see the painful position in
which I am placed。 To add to the difficulties of that situation；
Eustace came here this very day to warn me to be on my guard； in
case of your addressing to me the very request which you have
just made！ He told me that you had met with his mother； by an
unlucky accident； and that you had discovered the family name。 He
declared that he had traveled to London for the express purpose
of speaking to me personally on this serious subject。 'I know
your weakness；' he said； 'where women are concerned。 Valeria is
aware that you are my old friend。 She will certainly write to
you； she may even be bold enough to make her way into your house。
Renew your promise to keep the great calamity of my life a
secret； on your honor and on your oath。 'Those were his words； as
nearly as I can remember them。 I tried to treat the thing
lightly； I ridiculed the absurdly theatrical notion of 'renewing
my promise；' and all the rest of it。 Quite useless！ He refused to
leave me； he reminded me of his unmerited sufferings； poor
fellow； in the past time。 It ended in his bursting into tears。
You love him； and so do I。 Can you wonder that I let him have his
way？ The result is that I am doubly bound to tell you nothing； by
the most sacred promise that a man can give。 My dear lady； I
cordially side with you in this matter； I long to relieve your
anxieties。 But what can I do？〃
He stopped； and waitedgravely waitedto hear my reply。
I had listened from beginning to end without interrupting him。
The extraordinary change in his manner； and in his way of
expressing himself； while he was speaking of Eustace； alarmed me
as nothing had alarmed me yet。 How terrible （I thought to myself