hands off him, when he reappeared,
to brave you, in West Lynne?" she added, in a changed tone, turning to
Mr. Carlyle.

"I cannot tell. I was a marvel oftentimes to myself."

He quitted the room as he spoke, adding a few civil words about her
with Mrs. Carlyle. Barbara, not possessing the scruples of her husband,
yielded to Lady Levison's request, and gave her the outline of the dark
tale. Its outline only; and generously suppressing Afy's name beyond the
evening of the fatal event. Lady Levison listened without interruption.

"Do you and Mr. Carlyle believe him to have been guilty?"

"Yes; but Mr. Carlyle will not express his opinion to the world. He does
not repay wrong with revenge. I have heard him say that if the lifting
of his finger would send the man to his punishment, he would tie down
his hand rather than lift it."

"Was his first wife, Isabel Vane, mad?" she presently asked.

"Mad!" echoed Barbara, in surprise.

"When she quitted him for the other. It could have been nothing else
than madness. I could understand a woman's flying from _him_ for love of
Mr. Carlyle; but now that I have seen your husband, I cannot understand
the reverse side of the picture. I thank you for your courtesy, Mrs.
Carlyle."

And, without another word, Alice Levison quitted the room as abruptly as
she had entered it.

Well, the London visit came to an end. It was of little more than three
weeks' duration, for Barbara must be safe at home again. Mr. Carlyle
remained for the rest of the season alone, but he varied it with
journeys to East Lynne. He had returned home for good now, July,
although the session had not quite terminated. There was another baby at
East Lynne, a lovely little baby, pretty as Barbara herself had been at
a month old. William was fading rapidly. The London physicians had but
confirmed the opinion of Dr. Martin, and it was evident to all that the
close would not be long protracted.

Somebody else was fading--Lady Isabel. The cross had been too heavy, and
she was sinking under its weight. Can you wonder at it?

An intensely hot day it was under the July sun. Afy Hallijohn was
sailing up the street in its beams, finer and vainer than ever. She
encountered Mr. Carlyle.

"So, Afy, you are really going to be married at last?"

"Jiffin fancies so, sir. I am not sure yet but what I shall change my
mind. Jiffin thinks there's nobody like me. If I could eat gold and
silver, he'd provide it; and he's as fond