He's quiet for a long moment, weighing out his answer.

"I find that keeping a secret, particularly one you are keeping for fear of hurting or worrying someone else, is like carrying a weight," he says at last. "Little good, in my experience, can come from it. It spares the people you worry about very little, and wears one down over time. You do a lot of good here, for many people. We can ill afford any of us to be worn down, least of all you."