CHAPTER VIII.

E

HONOR LOSES HER FRIENDS.

ARLY the next morning Honor walked into Bayonne, to seek Miss Morris

to thank her for having attended to her pupils for so long, and to find out when it would be convenient to her to restore them to their own teacher.

Miss Morris lived with her mother in the Blakes' old apartments in the Rue Porte St. Martin.

Honor found her at home, just about to start on her round of tuitions. The young lady seemed rather surprised and embarrassed at Honor's visit, she did not ask her to sit down, but said, in a hurried, nervous way—

'Certainly, Miss Blake; I am quite ready to give up all your pupils at once-to-day.'

'Not to-day,' said Honor.

'Not till you can

arrange about your own tuitions.'

if

'I can do that at any moment.'

Then to-morrow, shall we say? It makes just a month since the holidays ended, of which we have each taught for one fortnight. I shall send you the money as soon as I receive it; and I need not, I hope, say how grateful I am, or that you ever want any services in a similar way-' Here Mrs. Morris came into the room. She was a true middle-class Englishwoman of the type one often meets abroad, cold and bluntmannered, and of painfully exacting respectability.

'Miss Blake,' she said, 'it is my unpleasant duty to say that your visits to Margaret, and her communications with you, must stop at once. This must be the end of them. I am not ungrateful, and I know that Margaret owes it to you that she has got any pupils here, but I cannot let her good name be compromised.'

Please, mamma, do not say that,' pleaded Miss Morris.

'I must say it, child, for it is true. You may be much cleverer than my daughter, Miss

Blake, and have grander relations; but a young lady who could leave home with a young gentleman, and stay away a week without her own mother knowing where she was, is not a fit associate for Margaret. I told her, just before

you came in, she was to write to you, and give up your pupils at once. She has no wish to stand in your way with any of them. She told the nuns that yesterday. She was fond of you, Miss Blake, and feels grateful to you, so this has vexed her, therefore I am very glad you have come here to hear it from me. I mean no offence, but there are times when one must speak plainly.-Good-morning.'

Honor hardly understood what had passed, till she found herself in the street; and even then she was too bewildered to appreciate the full force of Mrs. Morris's accusation. What should she do next? It was striking ten, the hour for her lesson at the convent school, and as she believed Mrs. Morris had forbidden her daughter continuing these tuitions, she hastened there. As soon as she appeared in the schoolroom, she could not but be conscious that she was the subject of a great deal of whispered

remark among the young ladies, and that she was very coldly treated by the nuns.

She gave her lesson, and at its close was summoned to speak to the supérieure.

Poor Honor knew what was coming.

The lady expressed some surprise that Honor should have come that morning to her charge, knowing, as she must do, that the reports against her character made it impossible for her to be continued in her present situation.

They are false, Madame!' cried the girl. 'Believe me, they are all false !'

'Then where were you during this last week?' 'That I cannot tell; but I did no harm ! Sister Justine knows I did not!'

'Sister Justine has already said as much to me, Mademoiselle. One so holy as Sister Justine thinks the best of everything. She professes her belief in your innocence, and if it can be proved, no one will rejoice more than I shall. Be advised by me, Mademoiselle! Take counsel with your friends that you may clear up this cloud round your reputation!

Mystery is an evil thing in such cases. The innocent never fear the truth.

6

The reputation of a young girl is a thing too tender to be trifled with. Nothing but the whole truth, and that proclaimed instantly, will save you; and in the meantime I cannot, in justice to those ladies who have confided their daughters to my care, permit you to continue your lessons.

I have the pleasure to hand you your month's salary, Mademoiselle, and to assure you that I shall be happy to employ your services again, as soon as this affair is satisfactorily cleared up.

'I ought to tell you that your countrywoman Miss Morris, to whom I have spoken on this subject, is quite averse to continuing the tuition at our school. She says she feels it will seem like depriving you of your pupils, and that she owes you much, and must not be ungrateful.'

'Give

'She is not ungrateful,' said Honor. her the lessons, Madame, in my place.' 'Then you reject my advice to make known the truth?'

'I cannot help it, I fear,' said Honor; and with a few words of leave-taking she went away. There were other lessons due to other pupils,