Thus from a chance seed had blossomed swiftly one of those rare friendships between lonely people, which can in short time fill great spaces of two lives.
One day she asked him: "You know about me, I suppose ?" Miltoun made a motion of his head, signifying that he did.

His informant had been the vicar.
"Yes, I am told, her story is a sad one--a divorce." "Do you mean that she has been divorced, or----" For the fraction of a second the vicar perhaps had hesitated.
"Oh! no--no.

Sinned against, I am sure.

A nice woman, so far as I have seen; though I'm afraid not one of my congregation." With this, Miltoun, in whom chivalry had already been awakened, was content.

When she asked if he knew her story, he would not for the world have had her rake up what was painful.