“Oh! I am so glad!”
“Glad!” exclaimed Mrs. Gregory, in astonishment. “What can you mean? You surely cannot mean that you are glad you will be confined to the house by sickness?”
Helen was embarrassed. She knew she could not explain herself without telling all; and that she had not yet determined upon. At length she said,—
“Because it will prevent me from doing something that I did not want to do.”
“But why did you not want to do it?” asked Mrs. Gregory.
“Because I do not think it would have been right.”
“Then why would you have done it at all, even if you had been well enough, if it was wrong?” asked Mrs. Gregory, more puzzled than ever.
“Because I was afraid to refuse,” said Helen, in a low tone.
“It was nothing that I required of you, I am sure,” said her mistress.
“No.”