She did not show the spirit of holiday, seemed weary from time to time, was too often preoccupied and indisposed to talk.

True, she had at length fulfilled her promise of telling him the whole of her story, but even this increase of confidence Waymark's uneasy mind strangely converted into fresh source of discomfort to himself.

She had made this revelation--he half believed--on purpose to keep up the distance between them, to warn him how slight occasion had led her from what is called the path of virtue, that he might not delude himself into exaggerated estimates of her character.

Such a thought could of course only be due to the fact that Ida's story had indeed produced something of this impression upon her hearer.

Waymark had often busied himself with inventing all manner of excuses for her, had exerted his imagination to the utmost to hit upon some most irresistible climax of dolorous circumstances to account for her downfall.