strong. I could not fight for ever."

"Tut--tut, child! why shouldest thou fight? Why didst thou not
speak to thy mother? Girls may breathe a secret into a mother's ear
that is not to be spoke elsewhere. Thou shouldest have told her,
child, and have spared thyself much weary misery."

Kate's head was hung very low; neither parent could see her face.

"I did not dare," she answered softly; "I knew that I was wrong. I
feared to speak."

"Thou art a strange mixture of courage and fear, my saucy Kate. I
would once have vowed that thou wouldst fear not to speak aloud
every thought of thy heart. But love changes all, I ween, and makes
sad cowards of the boldest of us. And so thou didst wait till he
declared his love, and fretted out thy heart in silence the while?"

Kate lifted her head and looked at her father, a faint perplexity
in her eyes.

"Nay, I ever knew he loved me. It was that I feared thy
displeasure, my father. I had heard thee say--"

"Nothing against Sir Robert, I warrant me," cried Sir Richard
heartily; whilst Kate took one backward step and exclaimed:

"Methought Sir Robert was Cecilia's lover! Why speak you to me of
him, my father?"