"Come, my dear boy, what ails you? What's the reason of this sudden change of plan? There's nothing troubling you, is there? You've had no--no letters, no bad news, to worry you? Won't you tell me?"
To tell her was, of course, impossible. Even if he could have kept back that former story of all the money he had paid away, he could not now explain that this girl, who had left him for another, was in want, and that he, the man she had cast aside, was to relieve her. That, of course, could never be explained--would never be understood. Although his aunt had scarcely mentioned the matter to him, he felt, from something she had once said, that she knew the story of the marriage, and knew that Brian was 'Linda's husband. Probably the captain had told her. But Comethup saw clearly before him that there was but one course he could adopt--that of silence. He could not bear to think that any action of 'Linda's, or of those belonging to her, should be misunderstood.
"No, of course I have had no bad news. What should make you think that? Only I am a little tired of travelling, and you know London is always delightful; I've heard you say that. My dear aunt, I know you only undertook this journey because you thought I should like it. Won't you go back to please me also?"
"Ah! you're keeping something from me; there's something hidden away in your heart that you won't tell me. There! I'm not inquisitive--no more than the rest of my sex; but I'd like to give you a word of warning, boy. You've not been happy lately--oh, I know!--although you haven't said a word about it; I'm too fond of you not to notice every little sign. My dear boy, there's something I never meant to refer to; it's a story that's best left alone. Comethup, you're not--not hungering after her still, are you?"
"And you're not making this sudden journey to London after her? Remember, you must put that out of your mind; I say _must_ advisedly, because there's no other word to use in the matter. You can't blink the thing away, my dear: she belongs to some one else, and you've done with her. If you don't recognise that, it only means disaster for both of you. With a man and a woman in such a situation there are two things for the man to do: if he can't run away _with_ her, then, by the Lord, he must run away _from_ her!"