“No, I shall see you home, Lena.”
“Indeed, there is no need,” said the trembling voice, in which he detected a sob very near at hand.
“I shall use my own judgment as to that,” said Julius, kindly.
She made no more resistance, but rose from the seat in the porch, and accepted his arm. He soon felt that her steps were growing firmer, and he ventured to say, “I had been looking for you to-day.”
“Yes, I saw your card.”
“I had a message to you from my mother.” Lenore trembled again, but did not dare to relax her hold on him. “I think you can guess what it is. She thinks poor Frank must have mistaken what you said.”
“No—I wrote it,” said Lena, very low.
“And you really meant that the resolution made last year is to stand between you and Frank? I am not blaming you, I do not know whether you may not be acting rightly and wisely, and whether you may not have more reason than I know of to shrink from intrusting yourself to Frank; but my mother cannot understand it, and when she sees him heartbroken, and too unwell to act for himself—”
“Oh! is he ill?”
“He has a very bad cold, and could not get up till the afternoon, and he is deafer than ever.”