For a moment Paul became serious.

"Tell me, Dorothy," he asked, in an altered tone, "have you, or Ah
Ben, or any member of your mysterious household or family, any crimes
to answer for? Is there any good reason why I, as an honest man,
should object to taking you for my wife?"

She turned scarlet as she answered:

"Never! There is no such reason. There is nothing dishonorable, I
swear to you--nothing which could implicate you in any way with
wrong-doing. No, Paul; my secret is different from that. You could
never guess it, nor could I ever compromise you with crime."

Her manner was sincere, and carried conviction to the hearer of the
truth of what she said.

"It is time we were going to the house," she added, rising, with the
parrot still upon her shoulder; and side by side they retraced their
steps along the woodland way homeward.




5


Although Mr. Henley had no doubt of the truth of Miss Guir's assertion,
the mystery of her life was as real and deeply impressive as ever.