He found her in her own room, her eyes dim with weeping. She
started up at the sight of his face.
"Oh, Tom, what have you come to tell me?"
In a few rapid words he made her understand. "You see how your mistake
arose, Aunt Lucy. They both had the same name, Rhoda and Cousin Lydia's
little girl. And Cousin Lydia must have given that locket to Rhoda's
mother or to Rhoda's father for her when they left Melbourne. But come
down and speak to Mr. Harding. There is no need for him to know the
mistake you fell into. Let us forget it, Aunt Lucy."
At this, Miss Merivale's tears began to flow afresh. "Oh, Tom, I have told
Rhoda."
"You told her? Why did you? I thought we had decided to wait till I had
seen Thomson."
"Tom, I could not help it. She was so miserable, poor child. She tried to
hide it, but she could not hide it from me. She thought she had offended
you. I do not know what she thought. How could you treat her so
differently? Do you think you will get her to forgive you?"
A glimmer of a smile showed itself in Miss Merivale's eyes as she spoke.
But Tom could not smile yet.
"Well, you told her," he said. "Did she believe you?"
"I don't know. But she declared that nothing would induce her to claim her
rights if she had any. She said there were no proofs, and if she had them
she would not produce them.
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