Kept in the Dark

gether, and make a clean breast. She would tell him everything down as far as she could, to the little feelings which had prevented her from speaking before, to Miss Altifiorla's abominable i

. If he took it kindly then she would worship him. All the agony she endured should be explained to him. Of her own folly, she would speak very severely,-if he treated it lightl

er departure with increasing impatience. But an event happened which had at once disturbed all her plans. She was sitting in the drawing-room with Miss Altifiorla at about five in the evening, discussing in a most disagreeable manner the secrecy of her first engagement. That is to say, Miss Altifiorla was persisting in the discussion, whereas Mrs. Western was positively refusing to make it a subject of c

a look of awe, Mrs. Western with a feeling of anger that was almost dominated by fear. But neither of them for a moment spoke a word, nor gave any sign of making welcome the new guest.

don't think that we knew that you were living

allest little cottage in the world just abou

d name!" said M

Scratch'em, and I couldn't call my house Scratch'em. I have built a second cottage, so that it is not

ind absolutely necessary. "I fear that we are going to Scotland very sh

ke it amiss. He sat there for twenty minutes, and e

id this,-"have succeeded in getting over it better than might have been expected. At any rate I hope that there will be no ill-will. I shall do myself the honour of asking you

ou will think of it all round you will perceive that this can be done by no one so well as by m

ing of the kind,"

et me implore you.

kind. I will admit of no i

ou cannot call i

to speak to my husb

at will

shall be done b

nd if you say that you merely knew him at Exeter, there will be in that case an additional fib." The use of such words applied to herself by this woman was intolerable. But she could only answer them by an

rs. Western had been fibbing. I cannot tell a fib! "You will leave me at any rate

tifiorla should have gone,-not even though she were going to-morrow. "Sir Francis Geraldine has been here," she said almost before he had enter

it. "Sir Francis Geraldine! A man whom I particularl

s a Devonshire man, an

re very intimate I think he might as well have remained away. There are some stories here not altoge

th than she was aware that she had fibbed. Miss Altifiorla was justified. Why had she not stopped at the assurance of her inti

rse, brought up the subject of Sir Francis Ge

as a man and not a woman, and among men the least suspicious till his suspicion was arous

ociety down in Exeter,-a very different class f

staying at the Dea

show at different places. Down here, where he is well known, a great many even of the racing me

to but for Cecilia." Her words no doubt were true; but again she looked a

cilia, "and of course we like to stand by our o

ot dine

ase. I don't want

should not dine with him. There has never been any

ecilia, who felt that at every word she uttere

to put up with her husband's fr

me. I never wish to see h

so near a neighbour," said Miss Altifiorla. Then for the

lf. I know nothing about racing, but my cousin, poor Jack Western, did. When he died, there was some money due to him by Sir Francis, and I, as his executor, applied for it. Sir Francis answered that debts won by d

end of it?"

could afford to lose it. But Sir Francis must know what I think of the

t was sw

. But I leave that all alone. It is so; and when I meet a man who is on the turf as they call it, I keep my own feelings to myself. He has his own laws of conduct and I have mine. But here is a man who does not obey his own laws; and puts money in

ming to include the husband as well as the wife in the address. "I have spent a most pleasant fortnight, and have been most delighted to become acquainted with your husband. You are Cecilia Holt no longer. But it would have been sad indeed not to know him who has made you Cecilia Western." T

ot," said

if you would have allowed me to obey my reason, an

y y

d. And I think I should have told it i

he question. I

is very morning. And remember that at any rate Fr

ued farewell. That she, she with her high ideas of a woman's duty and a woman's dignity, should have put herself into such a condition was a marvel to herself. Had some one a year since told her that she should become thus afraid of a fellow-creat