^^ Ah, there it is!" cried Charles, in a voice of
misery. ** How am I to break it to Leonora, who is de-
voted to me too, and has waited — is waiting — patient-
ly for me till our marriage becomes possible. What
shall I do ? It's disgraceful ! pitiful ! maddening !'^

Charles was not a bad actor, and indeed he had but
little need to act. It was disgraceful and all the rest,
and he felt it keenly. His face could be expressive
enough when he chose, and now it was such a picture
of woe that the tears of sympathy almost came to the
younger brother's eyes — ^^not at the facts, which were
commonplace enough, he thought, and somewhat ab-
surd, but at the anguish of the man who related them.
*^Tell me about the other girl," said Tom.
Charles described Leonora almost as well as she de-
served to be described — as well as he could, in fact —
and enlarged on her love for himself till Tom began
to sympathize strongly with the lonely, lovely girl
breaking her heart in the wilderness for this faithless
brother of his.
