"Then, may I be allowed to ask, why do you want to give it away?"

"Because I felt I had done my

cousin an injury. Without being such a coxcomb as to suppose that she would ever have fallen in love with me, still I believe she was ready to marry me if I had asked her. The fact that she and my aunt came to England at the time specified in the will, showed that the other side were ready to fulfil their part in the contract, and I undoubtedly led them to believe for a time that I was ready to fulfil mine. When I finally came to the conclusion that this was impossible, it seemed only fair to make all the reparation in my power. After all, it was merely anticipating by a few months the date of the enforced surrender, so the amount sacrificed is not much. I keep, of course, the fraction reserved under the will."

"Yes; but then she went and married another man before the ex

piration of the time specified in the trust."

"She left herself without any legal claim by this, no doubt, and the act was imprudent; still that should not interfere with my intentions. Besides, I have given my promise, by which I must abide." Clifford, as he spoke, could not help feeling a sense of amusement, mingled with the shame that came up predominant, at the part he was playing. He had been wild, rash, and treacherous-so his conscience whispered-in his own proceedings, yet here he was now speaking of his cousin's imprudence with lofty

calmness.

"I

"Then may we rest satisfied that this is all true, Robert ?" said the old gentleman, after a pause. have never known you otherwise than the soul of truth and honour, I must say that. May I accept your word upon it?"

"You may indeed, Mr. Bryant. My cousin and her husband have not a shadow of claim to a farthing, but what I make over of my own free will. What I would ask of the trustees is, that they should offer on my behalf to make over the portion of the property which I have named, reserving the remainder for me for the short period during which the trust remains in force. After that time I shall be free to do the same thing myself. I think you will find that Blanche and her husband will be quite satisfied, and that no difficulties or objections will be raised on their part." If I can only settle the matter in this way for the present, he thought, no doubt I shall be able to square matters with Burrard and keep him to secrecy.

"Well, Robert," said Mr. Bryant, after a while, "this is a very great relief to me, I can assure you; a very great relief. But I always believed it would turn out all right.

That's what I always said to Gale. 'Depend upon it,' I said, 'there is a good explanation forthcoming. I never knew Robert Clifford otherwise than perfectly straightforward and above-board."" His listener winced at this. "He gave us an undertaking that he would not marry without informing us, and on the faith of this we have paid him his dividends regularly, and he would never be so dishonourable as to deceive us on this point. Depend upon it,' I said, he will be able to clear the thing up.' But you must go and see Gale and satisfy him. He may be a little more difficult to satisfy; but if he says it is all right, all right it is, I have no doubt. It's a great relief to me, I can assure you. But go to Gale as soon as ever you can, and make it straight with him."

6

Clifford explained that he had made an appointment with Mr. Gale for the next day, and after

some further conversation rose to take leave. Mr. Bryant now pressed him to stay and dine, or at any rate to come into the garden and see Mrs. Bryant and the girls. But Clifford pleaded that his fly was waiting to take him back to the station; he had a train to catch; he had left his wife with her brother, but had arranged to return early.

"With her brother?" said Mr. Bryant, catching eagerly at the word.

"Yes; my wife used to support

her father and two brothers by her labours. But the father and one brother are now provided for-the youngest is living with us." And he could trace the effect of this announcement in the old gentleman's increased cordiality of manner, and the parting remark that he must bring his wife down to pay them a visit as soon as he could. And so Clifford returned to town, well pleased with the result of his journey, although feeling that the hardest part of the task had still to come. So far he had succeeded in shielding his wife, but the shrewd man of business would be more difficult to satisfy than the kindhearted old trustee.

1

As the returning train crossed the Thames, he could just make out in the distance the trees which bounded the lane leading up to Hilda's cottage. There, too, could be seen the path leading to the river-bank where they had walked on the eventful day when he opened his purpose to her, a spot impressed on his memory by the last walk taken there together, after she had consented to his proposal. "Ah, Hilda," he said to himself, as the scene passed out of sight, "I thought I loved you then as much as a man could love; but how much more I love you now, when I know how much my love has cost you! Now be it mine to make you really happy. If only my shameful wrong to you can be put right!"

When Clifford got to the lawyer's office the next morning, he found that Mr. Bryant was already closeted with Mr. Gale. Hardly had Clifford's visit come to an end than the old gentleman found all his doubts returning, still more distinctly when, on being put under

cross-examination by his wife, he was brought to see that Clifford had not explained a great deal that called for examination. So he had come up to tell Gale so much of the story as Clifford had confided to him, and to find out what the latter thought of it. When, there

fore, Clifford was shown into the room where the two were sitting, Mr. Gale was ready to question him on the points which needed still to be made clear.

"It appears from what you have told Mr. Bryant," began the lawyer, "that you admit to being married; but that you allege your marriage has taken place only quite lately?"

"It took place only four days ago. Here is a copy of the register, and the Consul's certificate."

"That proves, no doubt," observed Mr. Gale, returning the paper after examining it, "that you went through the marriage ceremony at Rouen four days ago; but I need hardly say that it does not prove you were not married already."

"Am I to prove that I was not married? That would be a little difficult, would it not?"

Observe, my young friend," said the lawyer, "that this is not a judicial inquiry. Our objectthe object of Mr. Bryant, and myself as his legal adviser-is simply to know what the facts are, in order that we may then be able to act in accordance with them. Without wishing to reflect on your conduct in the past, I take it for granted that you now desire to give the trustees every assistance in your power to enable them to fulfil the conditions of the trust. may rely on you for that?"

We

was extremely circumstantial. But of course we reserve our opinion until we have had the opportunity of hearing your affirmation or denial of it. Let me repeat exactly what the Captain did say." And the lawyer gave the substance of Burrard's communication-that Clifford had voluntarily announced his own marriage to Miss Reid, and that the fortune had passed to his cousin in consequence.

"Mr. Gale," replied Clifford, when the other had finished speaking, "I may at once say that the account which Burrard gave you of what passed between us on board the Channel steamer appears to have been in substance quite accurate, but I am sorry to have to confess that what I told him-that is, so far as relates to the statement of my being married at the time when we met-was a positive untruth."

Mr. Bryant started in his chair, and looked eagerly at Mr. Gale, to see how he would take the announcement. The latter remained silent awhile, looking straight at Clifford, and then continued—

"You must have been aware that the statement, true or untrue, was calculated to create great embarrassment. It necessarily raised expectations on the part of your cousin and her husband which it may be very hard to satisfy. May

"Now, it has been reported to the trustees that you were married some considerable time before you started for the Continent, and the authority for the report is said to be your own statement."

"You have had this from Captain Burrard, I presume?"

"Yes; he wrote to the trustees, or rather to me, and he has been here since, and I am bound to say that his account of what passed

thus misleading them?"

Clifford coloured. His poor wife's sensitiveness had communicated itself to him. To save her before these elderly gentlemen was the point foremost in his thoughts, and the apparent impossibility of the task added to his embarrassment. "You will understand," he said at last, finding words with difficulty, "that the meeting was sudden and quite unexpected. My motive may surely be inferred. I

wished to shieldnot complete the sentence. "It is necessary to be quite plain," said the lawyer, noticing his embarrassment; "but of course anything that passes here is confidential. I presume we are to understand that the lady-your wife, in fact had up to this time been living under your protection?"

"No!" exclaimed Clifford, springing up from his chair; "you are to understand nothing of the sort. Mrs. Clifford had been living with her father and family-with her father and brothers. She was merely employed as my private secretary. When she came to my house to fulfil her daily engagement, I never saw her except-so to speak-in the presence of my servants. I give you my word of honour as a gentleman, that nothing had passed between us that would have sullied the daughters of either of you. Perhaps, as I have admitted having told a lie, you won't believe me. I can only declare that this at least is true."

The lawyer remained silent for a few moments, while Clifford, repressing his excitement, resumed his seat. Then Mr. Gale said, "Are we then to infer that the lady's father-a Captain Reid, I believe was also travelling with you to Paris on the night when you crossed over with Captain and Mrs. Burrard?"

"Mr. Gale," replied Clifford, "I presume the real point at issue is, what is to become of the property I am willing to surrender fourfifths of it, as I told Mr. Bryant yesterday, and as in effect I told Captain Burrard, but I do so of my own free will. I beg you then to make the offer of the four-fifths to Burrard and his wife, and see if they will not be satisfied."

"You go too fast, my good sir," replied Gale. "The question we

own accord?"

Clifford remained silent. He saw all the difficulties in which he' involved himself, and no way out of them short of complete confession. Yet he had done his wife injury enough already. Must he inflict the further blow of making known the shame which he had brought on her, and which had so cruelly oppressed her? He knew not what to say. He had worked himself up into a state of morbid sensitiveness.

Mr. Gale sat watching him. The silence was broken by Mr. Bryant.

"I believe what Robert says. I am sure he is incapable of deceiving us after his positive assurance. Would it not do for us to tell the Burrards that we are satisfied with Robert's explanations; that his marriage took place after theirs; and that they have no case?"

"Mr. Clifford will excuse my saying that we have had no explanation yet," observed Gale. "The matter has still to be cleared up, and, he will allow me to add, it is evident from his manner there is a good deal to be cleared up. I think it would be for the advantage of all

parties that Mr. Clifford should take us into his confidence. Unless he does so, I do not see how we are to help him.”

Clifford still remained silent. He had lost his presence of mind. Hilda herself could not have been more distressed. At last he said, "You will understand that my cousin's marriage took me quite by surprise. Until we met on board the steamer, I had no idea that such a thing was even in contemplation, although I think there was a mutual understanding between us that the notion of marriage between her and me was to be set aside. Still I felt that some compensation was due to due to my cousin. She had lost the property by her precipitancy; but she had acted under a misconception -no doubt an unfounded one, but still a misconception-so that I felt under an obligation to renounce my right to the bulk of the prop

erty."

Still this does not explain why you should have misled Captain Burrard into supposing that you were married, if you were not. By doing this, you surrendered all the advantage of the title to generosity which the act of renunciation would otherwise have conferred on you-that is, which it would have conferred on you according to your statement of the matter. Captain Burrard has been led to claim as a right what you now say he can derive only from your bounty. This is what has to be explained."

not with her on this occasion of your meeting Captain Burrard on board the steamer? Had she any relative in France to whom she was going?"

"Her father had gone away to get married himself. The only relative who has been with her is her brother."

"I mentioned to you about the brother, you know, Gale," whispered Mr. Bryant.

"Her brother was staying with her at Rouen," said Clifford, catching at the means of deliverance thus offered. "Miss Reid and her brother were staying at one hotel in Rouen, and I was at another, previous to the marriage."

"I told you so," again whispered Bryant to the lawyer.

"You have not said that the brother was a fellow-passenger when you crossed the Channel, I think?" pursued Mr. Gale, not heeding the remark.

"He was not," replied Clifford. The words came out reluctantly.

"But his sister was going to join him, I suppose?" said Bryant.

"The brother followed," said Clifford. "He was not able to get away so soon."

His flushed face told the lawyer as much more of the story as he had still to guess. "Perhaps," said Mr. Gale, "Mr. Bryant will excuse us for a minute. I should like to speak with you in the other room." And so saying, he led the way

thither.

"I think I begin to understand the case now," he said as soon as the two were alone, "and also your difficulty in telling us your story. Your own marriage was not in contemplation in the first instance, but you saw your way to it as soon as you found out that your cousin had got married already! That is so!" Clifford nodded assent.

"And the subsequent delay, I