The thought disturbed her repentance. As a matter of fact, the
storm was worst along the road; but she had been near danger, and
so she thought it must be near to every one.

"I trust not. One would always pray against that."

"He is really--I think he was taken by surprise, just as I was
before. But this time I'm not to blame; I want you to believe
that. I simply slipped into those violets. No, I want to be
really truthful. I am a little to blame. I had silly thoughts.
The sky, you know, was gold, and the ground all blue, and for
a moment he looked like some one in a book."

"In a book?"

"Heroes--gods--the nonsense of schoolgirls."

"And then?"

"But, Charlotte, you know what happened then."

Miss Bartlett was silent. Indeed, she had little more to learn.
With a certain amount of insight she drew her young cousin
affectionately to her. All the way back Lucy's body was shaken by
deep sighs, which nothing could repress.

"I want to be truthful," she whispered. "It is so hard to be
absolutely truthful."