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Rh stayed in Paris, he concealed his identity from you, knowing yonr wish to remain unknown. This was foolish. I hope you will believe that it was a pure accident that brought him to Madame Martineau's. I did not betray your address. He is an excellent young man, and I have a high esteem as well as affection for him. As my possible successor in this firm, I am glad you should know him, but I regret that you should have known him in this way. In your relative positions, I consider it unadvisable that, as long as you are alone, and on the Continent, you should be thrown much together. The world might, very naturally, blame me for this. At the same time, I cannot forbid my nephew from finding you out, if he be so minded, and I have reason to suspect that he means to do so, when he takes a run abroad, shortly. The only straightforward course for me is to tell you who 'Mr. George' really is, and strongly to counsel you to discourage an intimacy which may lead to disappointment and estrangement hereafter, when my desire is that you may find in him a wise and trustworthy legal adviser."

This passage in Mr. Twisden's letter, received three days before, had prepared Elizabeth for George Daintree's appearance that afternoon. There was a certain change in her manner, of which he was at once conscious, as she held out her hand.

"So you have found me out again, Mr. George Daintree! Why did you not tell me in Paris that you were the nephew of my old friend?"

He had come, meaning to make a clean breast of it—or as clean as was possible under the circumstances;