"Mr.
Saltram may have formed some tie of a kind to withdraw him from all other friendships." "Some attachment, you mean!" exclaimed the widow; "some other attachment," she added, forgetting how much the words betrayed.

"Do you think that, Mr.Fenton?
Do you think that John Saltram has some secret love-affair upon his mind ?" "I have some reason to suspect as much, from words that he has dropped during his delirium." There was a look of unspeakable pain in Mrs.Branston's face, which had grown deadly pale when Gilbert first spoke of John Saltram's illness.

The pretty childish lips quivered a little, and her companion knew that she was suffering keenly.
"Have you any idea who the lady is ?" she asked quietly, and with more self-command than Gilbert had expected from her.
"I have some idea." "It is no one whom I know, I suppose ?" "The lady is quite a stranger to you." "He might have trusted me," she said mournfully; "it would have been kinder in him to have trusted me." "Yes, Mrs.Branston; but Mr.Saltram has unfortunately made concealment the policy of his life.

He will find it a false policy sooner or late." "It was very cruel of him not to tell me the truth.

He might have known that I should look kindly upon any one he cared for.