When Susan had left the room, however, Roger's silence and diffidence, instead of lessening, rather increased; he followed her to the door with his eyes, and made a confused pause; and then he burst into the very middle of a little lecture upon strategy which the good Colonel was delivering to him, with the very inconsequent and illogical remark:--
"I was quite taken by surprise to see Miss Scarsdale here."
"Why," said Colonel Sutherland, swallowing the affront to his own eloquence, "you knew Susan was my niece, did you not?"
"I--I suppose I had forgotten," said Roger, with another blush over this inexcusable fib. And as the young man seemed disposed to make another pause after this false statement, and to fall into a state of reverie, the Colonel bethought himself of applying the sharp spur of Horace's letter to bring him to himself.
"I would have delayed for a little speaking to you so gravely," said Uncle Edward; "but as we are talking of Miss Scarsdale, it is just as well to enter upon the subject at once. Now, remember, I don't want to steal into your confidence, or urge you to tell anything you may wish to conceal; but let me know this much, Musgrave. When you left Tillington did you leave anything behind you; any foolish connexion, any boyish entanglement, anything you wished to conceal? My dear boy, I don't want to make myself your judge--such things have been, and have been repented of--only tell me, 'yes' or 'no'?"
"Foolish connexion!--boyish entanglement!" repeated Roger, in amazement; "I know _you_ don't mean to insult me, Colonel Sutherland--what do you mean?"
The old man looked into the young man's face, bending towards him with that stoop of benign weakness--the touch of physical imperfection, which put a tender climax to his fatherly words and ways.
"I will tell you what I mean by-and-bye; but in the meantime say to me in so many words--'It is not true.'"
"It is not true!" said Roger, with emphasis.
The young man was certainly roused now--he sat quite upright, carrying high his soldierly head, not defiant as he might have been at Tillington, perfectly grave, conscious of nothing which slander could build upon. The old soldier's eyes glistened over him--he was proud of his volunteer.