She made no reply.
‘I suppose you have been in the habit of meeting Mr Hammond clandestinely in the garden,’ I continued; ‘you gaining access to it unobserved by means of the so-called haunted rooms, against which you were so careful to warn me. I could not have believed you so skilled in subterfuge.’
Rose coloured deeply, and her head drooped in shame. ‘I am very sorry, Miss Bygrave,’ she said penitently, after a long pause; ‘I see now that I have acted wrongly. I have felt very unhappy all along at the thought of deceiving my good Cousin, for indeed I love him truly; but I could not bear to think of giving up Mr Hammond. I have often longed to confess all to you, and I asked Fritz once if I might; but he said it would be most imprudent, and would lead to his being parted from me for ever. And now that will come to pass, I suppose. O dear me! what shall I do? I am the most miserable girl in the world!’ So saying, Rose again buried her face in the pillow and sobbed aloud.
‘Do you know what I should advise you to do?’ I said, when her emotion had somewhat exhausted itself.
‘What?’ she asked in a smothered voice, without raising her head.
‘I think the best thing—the right thing for you to do is to confess all to Mr Aslatt, and beg his forgiveness. He will accord it, I have no doubt. It will give him great pain to hear of your folly; but it will grieve him less to learn it from your lips than from mine.’
‘Oh, I cannot, Miss Bygrave! I cannot tell him! I don’t know what he would do or say. He would be so angry with Mr Hammond!’
‘And he has just cause to be,’ I could not help saying. ‘But surely, Rose, your past experience of Mr Aslatt’s goodness should lead you to put more trust in his kindness of heart. You must know that he seeks your happiness in everything. He will undoubtedly feel indignant with the schoolmaster on account of the underhand manner in which he has acted. But if he is convinced that you are sincerely attached to each other, he will not, I believe, oppose your union; unless he has grave reasons for thinking Mr Hammond unworthy of the place he holds in your heart. You cannot expect that he will all at once consent to your marrying a man who may be a mere adventurer, for all that we know to the contrary, and who has certainly acted towards Mr Aslatt in a dishonourable manner, which the hopelessness of his suit does not seem to me to excuse.’
Rose made no reply; and I trusted my words would have their influence. She lay still for some time, evidently engaged in deep and painful thought. Gradually, however, the cloud passed from her brow, and as morning was beginning to dawn, she fell into a sound sleep. I watched her for a while; but by degrees weariness overcame my mental excitement, and I also fell asleep.