"I felt a very, very deep interest in you," he admitted gravely, "a
greater interest than I have ever felt in any other woman. That is my
sole excuse for becoming involved in your affairs. I could not bear to
see you make a mistake it might be in my power to prevent."

"What mistake?"

"Well, first of all, trusting in this man Hobart."

She laughed, her eyes glancing up quickly into his face.

"And why now, please? Remember your confession; I may think this only
jealousy."

"You are not so silly as that," earnestly. "Moreover, I may as well be
perfectly frank. I did confess an interest in you, and in a measure, I
still feel eager to serve you in every possible way; but you have
changed so greatly, Miss Natalie, that my confidence in you has been
severely tried."

"You no longer believe?"

"I hardly know; I fail utterly to understand you of late; you seem an
entirely different girl. For one thing, you have deliberately
deceived me."

"Indeed! in what?"

"In your visit to Arch Street with Percival Coolidge. That was no mission
of charity to a poor widow and children."