CHAPTER XLV.
CONVICTION Sir Montague Hockin, to my great delight, was still away from Bruntsea.
If he had been there, it would have been a most awkward thing for me to meet him, or to refuse to do so.

The latter course would probably have been the one forced upon me by self-respect and affection toward my cousin; and yet if so, I could scarcely have avoided an explanation with my host.

From the nature of the subject, and several other reasons, this would have been most unpleasant; and even now I was haunted with doubts, as I had been from the first, whether I ought not to have told Mrs.
Hockin long ago what had been said of him.

At first sight that seemed the honest thing to do; but three things made against it.

It might seem forward and meddlesome; it must be a grievous thing to my cousin to have his sad story discussed again; and lastly, I had promised Mrs.Price that her words should go no further.