“Yes,” said Caroline Montfort, drawing Sophy nearer to her breast, “yes, you will both forgive me for the surprise. Yes, you do see before you, grown up to become the pride of those who cherish her, that Sophy who—”
“Sophy!” cried Lionel advancing; “it is so, then! I knew you were no stroller’s grandchild.”
Sophy drew up: “I am, I am his grandchild, and as proud to be so as I was then.”
“Pardon me, pardon me; I meant to say that he too was not what he seemed. You forgive me,” extending his hand, and Sophy’s soft hand fell into his forgivingly.
“But he lives? is well? is here? is—” Sophy burst into tears, and Lady Montfort made a sign to Lionel to go into the garden, and leave them. Reluctantly and dizzily, as one in a dream, he obeyed, leaving the vagrant’s grandchild to be soothed in the fostering arms of her whom, an hour or two ago, he knew but by the titles of her rank and the reputation of her pride.
It was not many minutes before Lady Montfort rejoined him.
“You touched unawares,” said she, “upon the poor child’s most anxious cause of sorrow. Her grandfather; for whom her affection is so sensitively keen, has disappeared. I will speak of that later; and if you wish, you shall be taken into our consultations. But—” she paused, looked into his face-open, loyal face, face of gentleman—with heart of man in its eyes, soul of man on its brow; face formed to look up to the stars which now lighted it—and laying her hand lightly on his shoulder, resumed with hesitating voice: “but I feel like a culprit in asking you what, nevertheless, I must ask, as an imperative condition, if your visits here are to be renewed—if your intimacy here is to be established. And unless you comply with that condition, come no more; we cannot confide in each other.”
“Oh, Lady Montfort, impose any condition. I promise beforehand.”
“Not beforehand. The condition is this: inviolable secrecy. You will not mention to any one your visits here; your introduction to me; your discovery of the stroller’s grandchild in my adopted daughter.”
“Not to Mr. Darrell?”