"
"Honor in fact; not love. Love would make him stay," replied the
maiden with a sparkling eye, and something of proud elevation in the
tones of her voice.
A faint suspicion of the truth now came stealing on the mind of Mr.
Darlington.
"Does the lady know of his preference for her?" he asked.
"Not through any word or act of his, designed to communicate a
knowledge of the fact," replied Kate, her eyes falling under the
earnest look bent upon her by Mr. Darlington.
"Has he made you his confidante?"
"No, sir. I doubt if the secret has ever passed his lips." Kate's
face was beginning to crimson, but she drove back the tell-tale
blood with a strong effort of the will.
"Then how came you possessed of it," inquired the father.
The blood came back to her face with a rush, and she bent her head
so that her dark glossy curls fell over and partly concealed it. In
a moment or two she had regained her self-possession, and looking up
she answered,
"Secrets like this do not always need oral or written language to
make them known. Enough, father, that I have discovered the fact
that his heart is deeply imbued with a passion for one who knows
well his virtues--his pure, true heart--his manly sense of honor;
with a passion for one who has looked upon him till now as a
brother, but who henceforth must regard him with a different and
higher feeling.
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