 a spell upon her, keeping her motionless and hindering her from
unclasping her hands, while some intense, grave yearning was imprisoned within
her eyes. Seeing that she did not put out her hand as usual, Will paused a yard
from her and said with embarrassment, »I am so grateful to you for seeing me.«
    »I wanted to see you,« said Dorothea, having no other words at command. It
did not occur to her to sit down, and Will did not give a cheerful
interpretation to this queenly way of receiving him; but he went on to say what
he had made up his mind to say.
    »I fear you think me foolish and perhaps wrong for coming back so soon. I
have been punished for my impatience. You know - every one knows now - a painful
story about my parentage. I knew of it before I went away, and I always meant to
tell you of it if - if we ever met again.«
    There was a slight movement in Dorothea, and she unclasped her hands, but
immediately folded them over each other.
    »But the affair is matter of gossip now,« Will continued. »I wished you to
know that something connected with it - something which happened before I went
away, helped to bring me down here again. At least I thought it excused my
coming. It was the idea of getting Bulstrode to apply some money to a public
purpose - some money which he had thought of giving me. Perhaps it is rather to
Bulstrode's credit that he privately offered me compensation for an old injury:
he offered to give me a good income to make amends; but I suppose you know the
disagreeable story?«
    Will looked doubtfully at Dorothea, but his manner was gathering some of the
defiant courage with which he always thought of this fact in his destiny. He
added, »You know that it must be altogether painful to me.«
    »Yes - yes - I know,« said Dorothea, hastily.
    »I did not choose to accept an income from such a source. I was sure that
you would not think well of me if I did so,« said Will. Why should he mind
saying anything of that sort to her now? She knew that he had avowed his love
for her. »I felt that« - he broke off, nevertheless.
    »You acted as I should have expected you to act,« said Dorothea, her face
brightening and her head becoming a little more erect on its beautiful stem.
    »I did not believe that you would let any
