Lomaque’s eyes grew weaker than ever, and winked incessantly as he uttered this apostrophe.  At the end, he threw up his hands again, and blinked inquiringly all round him, in mute appeal to universal nature.

“When, in the course of time, matters were further advanced,” continued Trudaine, without paying any attention to the interruption; “when the offer of marriage was made, and when I knew that Rose had in her own heart accepted it, I objected, and I did not conceal my objections—­”

“Heavens!” interposed Lomaque again, clasping his hands this time with a look of bewilderment; “what objections, what possible objections to a man young and well-bred, with an immense fortune and an uncompromised character?  I have heard of these objections; I know they have made bad blood; and I ask myself again and again, what can they be?”

“God knows I have often tried to dismiss them from my mind as fanciful and absurd,” said Trudaine, “and I have always failed.  It is impossible, in your presence, that I can describe in detail what my own impressions have been, from the first, of the master whom you serve.  Let it be enough if I confide to you that I cannot, even now, persuade myself of the sincerity of his attachment to my sister, and that I feel—­in spite of myself, in spite of my earnest desire to put the most implicit confidence in Rose’s choice—­a distrust of his character and temper, which now, on the eve of the marriage, amounts to positive terror.  Long secret suffering, doubt, and suspense, wring this confession from me, Monsieur Lomaque, almost unawares, in defiance of caution, in defiance of all the conventionalities of society.  You have lived for years under the same roof with this man; you have seen him in his most unguarded and private moments.  I tempt you to betray no confidence—­I only ask you if you can make me happy by telling me that I have been doing your master grievous injustice by my opinion of him?  I ask you to take my hand, and tell me if you can, in all honor, that my sister is not risking the happiness of her whole life by giving herself in marriage to Danville to-morrow!”

He held out his hand while he spoke.  By some strange chance, Lomaque happened just at that moment to be looking away toward those beauties of Nature which he admired so greatly.  “Really, Monsieur Trudaine, really such an appeal from you, at such a time, amazes me.”  Having got so far, he stopped and said no more.

“When we first sat down together here, I had no thought of making this appeal, no idea of talking to you as I have talked,” pursued the other.  “My words have escaped me, as I told you, almost unawares; you must make allowances for them and for me.  I cannot expect others, Monsieur Lomaque, to appreciate and understand my feelings for Rose.  We two have lived alone in the world together; father, mother, kindred, they all died years since, and left us.  I am so much older than my sister that I