The New Magdalen

pale this mor

nswered. “The slightest noises startle me. I

“We must try what a change will do for you. Wh

hip is too

ible to be to

ngly over her pale face. “Oh!” she exc

ated Lady Janet, wit

often that you have learned to like me. Is it really a pleasure to you to h

r to those questions. It would be something, surely, to say of the false Grace that the true Grace c

mused, by the extraordinary earnestness

ingly on Mercy’s arm, and continued, in a graver tone: “It is hardly too much to say, Grace, that I bless t

ady Janet, still touching her arm, felt it tremble. “What is th

y Janet’s view. “What have I said to provoke this?” wondered the old lady. “Is she in the melting mood to-day? If she is, now is the time to

of us to feel reconciled to a change in our lives. At my age, it will fall hardest on

traces of tears were in her eyes. “Why shoul

now!” exclaim

don’t. Tel

ace to t

od. Mercy’s head drooped. She began to tremble ag

rong between Horace

N

child? You have surely not encou

h

d y

s. “Dear Lady Janet,” she interposed, gently, “I am in no hurry to be married. There will be ple

e discussed between them! “What are the young women of the present time made of?” thought the old lady, utterly at a loss to know what to say next. Mercy waited, on her side, with an impenetrable patience which only aggravated

seized on the servant as a victim. “What do you w

. The messenger wa

salver with the lett

opened the envelope. Mercy made the necessary acknowledgment, and moved away to the other end of the room, little thinking that the arrival of the letter marked a

er of them being no other than the man who

ar of the reasons which have hastened his return. The sooner I make my confession, the easier I shall feel. Besides, I have a special object in wishing to see you as soon as possible. Ma

IAN

iously to the sentence in the le

ly celebrity which the young clergyman had achieved as a writer and a preacher. Thanks to these mitigating circumstances, and to Julian’s inexhaustible good-humor, the aunt and the nephew generally met on friendly terms. Apart from what she called “his detestable opinions,” Lady Janet was sufficiently interested in Julian to feel some curiosity about the mysterious “lady” mentioned in the l

ng round, “I have a note to write to

opposite extremity of the room,

ed. “Your ladyship never

and, to own the truth, my nephew is not one of my favorite subjects of conversation. I don’t mean that I dislike him; I detest his principles, my dear, tha

, closed it again, and walked slowly

t be! Was it possible (if she made the confession) to trust to her own good conduct to plead her excuse? No! Her calmer sense warned her that it was hopeless. The place she had won — honestly won — in Lady Janet’s estimation had been obtained by a trick. Nothing could alter, nothing could excuse, that. She took out her handkerchief and dashed away the useless tears that had gathered in her eyes, and tried to turn her thoughts some other way. What was it Lady Janet had said on going into the library? She had said she was coming back to speak about Horace. Mercy guessed what the object was; she knew but too well what Horace wanted of her. How was she to meet the emergency? In the name of Heaven, what was to be done? Could she let the man who loved her — the man whom she loved — drift blindfold into marriage with such a woman as she had been? No! it was her duty to warn him. How? Could she break his heart, could she lay his life waste by speaking the cruel words which might

ace Holmcroft had waited to hear the result of Lady Janet’

t the interview had come to an end. Was his betrothed wife waiting alone to speak to him on his return to the room? He advanced a few step

ra

startle me,” she said, irritably, sinking back on the sofa. “

through which she had just passed, he seated himself by her side, and asked her gently if she had seen Lady Janet. She made an affirmative answer with an unreasonable impatience of tone and manner which would ha

et said anyth

sentence. “You have tried to make her hurry me into m

ry!” he said, good-humoredly. “Is it so very inexcusable to ask Lady Janet to intercede for me? I have

th hysterical vehemence. “I am weary of hearing of your mother and

sofa. His mother and sisters were high authorities in his estimation; they variously represented his ideal of perfection in women. He

you by my mother and my sisters,” he said. “They are not

set his relatives up as patterns for her. Would he never understand that women detested having other women exhibited as examples to them? She looked round at him with a sense of impatient wonder. He was sitting at the luncheon-table, with his back turned on her, and his head resting on his hand. If he had attempted to rejoin her, she would have repelled him; if he had spoken, she would have met him with a sharp reply. He sat apart from her, without uttering a word. In a man’s hands silence is the most terrible of all protests to the woman who loves him. Violence she can endure. Words she is always ready to meet by words on her side. Silence conquers her. After a moment’

said, “if you only

his hair round her finger, and arranging it ov

or they must, at that moment, have heard the

use of Horace. The first object that met her view was her client pleading, with conspicuous success, for himself! “I am

tion of the deferred marriage. At the first words tha

day,” she said; “I

er anxiously. “May I sp

hanged the subject. “What a time Lady Janet is aw

ady Janet’s prolonged absence. “What made her leave you?” he

write a note to her nephew.

sible you

d, I d

man.” He paused, and stooping nearer to her, lifted a love-lock that lay over her sho

at him in blank, bewildered terror, as if

“My dear Grace!” he exclaimed; “what have

dy Janet’s nephew is Julian Gray,” sh

darling, now you do know it, what

seberry had suddenly assumed a new aspect: the aspect of a fatality. It had led her blindfold to the house in which she and the preacher at the Refuge

. You saw it yourself when you came in here; even the sound of your vo

an’s name! He is a public celebrity, I know; and I have seen ladies start and

anything to do with my looks! I am better already. See for yourself!” She looked round at him again with a ghastly gayety; and returned, with a desperate assumption of indifference, to the subj

in playing her part, determined to set at rest in him any possible suspicion that she had reasons of her own for being afraid o

their effect on Horace. His face began to

any pretensions to priestly authority and priestly power. Goes about doing good on a plan of his own. Is quite resigned never to rise to the high places in his profession. Says it’s rising high enough for him to be the Arc

“What do you mean?”

e, smiling. “If he spoke to you, Grace, he would prevail on

on’t stop him!” There is but one chance for her. The only certain way to prevent Horace from appealing to his friend was to grant what Horace wished for before his friend

“What were we saying just now — before

t had become of Lady J

the shoulder. “No! no! It was

words had left unsaid. Horac

I loved you,” he an

y th

ired of he

ry much in earnest about — about —” S

our mar

es

e dearest wis

all

all

kets at her watch-chain. “When would you like it to be?” she sai

looked now. Horace was afraid to believe in his own good fort

think I am tri

seriously. “You would not even let me s

ted, petulantly. “They say women are change

e sex!” cried Horace, with devout sincer

insist

the law of marriage. “We may be married by license

her hands

reparations to make. You said when you accep

o own that she had

him. There was a pause. The mask of coquetry — badly worn from the first — dropped from her. Her sad gray eyes re

r passionately. It was only by a reso

d, faintly. “Pray l

ind Lady Janet,” he said; “I long to show the dear old lady that I have recovered my spirits, and to tell her why.”

it here,”

that reply, h

umbent position with a start, as the idea of the interview — dismissed for the last few minutes — possessed itself again of her mind. Her excited imagination figured Julian Gray as present in the room at that moment, speaking to her as Horace had proposed. She saw him seated close at her side — this man who had shaken her to the soul when he was in the pulpit, and when she was listening to him (unseen) at the other end of the chapel — she saw him close by her, looking her searchingly in the face; seeing her shameful secret in her eyes; hearing it in her voice; feeling it in her trembling hand

of her agitation began to tell

s closed — the monotonous ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece grew drowsily fainter and fainter on her ear. Little by little she dropped into slumber —

e to speak to them. The room was empty again. They had stolen out softly and left her to repose. Her eyes closed once more. She drop