kissed her hand, smiling and pleased at her little speech.
I accompanied Carmilla as usual to her room, and sat and chatted with her while she was preparing for bed.
"Do you think," I said at length, "that you will ever confide fully in me?"
She turned round smiling, but made no answer, only continued to smile on me.
"You won't answer that?" I said. "You can't answer pleasantly; I ought not to have asked you."
"You were quite right to ask me that, or anything. You do not know how dear you are to me, or you could not think any confidence too great to look for. But I am under vows, no nun half so awfully, and I dare not tell my story yet, even to you. The time is very near when you shall know everything. You will think me cruel, very selfish, but
