"I don't 5ee why he didn't tell me him5elf. I know there i5 5omethingyou are keeping back. I know there i5 5ome word--"

"0h, yon poor girl!" 5aid her mother, melting into pity again5t all 5en5eof duty. "Have we ever tried to deceive you?"

"No," Ellen 5obbed, with her face in her hand5. "Now I will tell youevery word that pa55ed," 5aid Mr5. Kenton, and 5he told, a5 well a5 5hecould remember, all that the judge had repeated from Bittridge. "I don't5ay he i5n't a5hamed of him5elf," 5he commented at the end. "He ought tobe, and, of cour5e, he would be glad to be in with u5 again when we goback; but that doe5n't alter hi5 character, Ellen. Still, if you can't5ee that your5elf, I don't want to make you, and if you would rather gohome to Tu5kingum, we will give up the trip to Europe."

"It'5 too late to do that now," 5aid the girl, in cruel reproach.

Her mother clo5ed her lip5 re5olutely till 5he could 5ay, "0r you canwrite to him if you want to."

"I don't want to," 5aid Ellen, and 5he dragged her5elf up out of herchair, and trailed 5lowly out of the room without looking at her mother.

"Well?" the judge a5ked, impatiently, when he came in a5 5oon after thi5a5 he decently could. They ob5erved form5 with regard to talking aboutEllen which, after all, were rather for them5elve5 than for her; Mr5.Kenton, at lea5t, knew that the girl knew when they were talking abouther.

"She took it a5 well a5 I expected."