I promised.

I--" he stammered a little--"I seem to have done her harm--her reputation, I mean.

There is only one thing could let me off.
She swore to me that--well!--that she was a good woman--that there was nothing in her past--you understand--" "And you know of nothing ?" said Doris, gravely.
"Nothing.

And you don't think I'm going to try and ferret out things against her!" cried the youth, flushing.

"No--I must just bear it." "It's your parents that will have to bear it!" His face hardened.
"My mother might have prevented it," he said bitterly.