Ask Lady Lena about it. She will give
you all the details, without her elder sister's bias in favour of the
handsome young man. What a pretty compliment you are paying me! You
really look as if I had interested you."
Knowing what I knew, I was unquestionably interested.
Although the recent return of Lord Uppercliff and his daughter to their
country home had, as yet, allowed no opportunity of a meeting, out of
doors, between the deaf Lodger and the friends whom he had lost sight
of--no doubt at the time of his serious illness--still, the inevitable
discovery might happen on any day. What result would follow? And what
would be the effect on Lady Rachel, when she met with the fascinating
young surgeon, and discovered the terrible change in him?
CHAPTER X
WARNED!
We were alone in the glade, by the side of the spring. At that early hour
there were no interruptions to dread; but Cristel was ill at ease. She
seemed to be eager to get back to the cottage as soon as possible.
"Father tells me," she began abruptly, "he saw you at the boathouse. And
it seemed to him, that you were behaving yourself like a friend to that
terrible man."
I reminded her of my having expressed the fear that we had been
needlessly hard on him; and, I added that he had written a letter which
confirmed me in that opinion. She looked, not only disappointed, but even
alarmed.
"I had hoped," she said sadly, "that father was mistaken.
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