'Only what papa told me.'
'He—he was the last person to know.'
'He told me,' said Ethel, hurrying it out in a fright, 'that you went away—out of generosity—not to interfere with his happiness.'
Then she felt as if she had done a shocking thing, and waited anxiously, while Dr. Spencer deliberately made a deep hole in the shingle with his stick. 'Well,' at last he said, 'I thought that matter was unknown to all men—above all to Dick!'
'It was only after you were gone, that he put things together and made it out.'
'Did—she—know?' said Dr. Spencer, with a long breath.
'I cannot tell,' said Ethel.
'And how or why did he tell you?' (rather hurt.)
'It was when first you came. I am sure no one else knows it. But he told me because he could not help it; he was so sorry for you.'
They walked the whole length of the parade, and had turned before Dr. Spencer spoke again; and then he said, 'It is strange! My one vision was of walking on the sea-shore with her; and that just doing so with you should have brought up the whole as fresh as five-and-thirty years ago!'