. You
know that I love you." He was standing close to her, and put out
his hand as though he would twine his arm round her waist. "Not for
worlds," she said. "It belongs to that Palliser girl. And as I have
taught myself to think that what there is left of me may perhaps
belong to some other one, worthless as it is, I will keep it for him.
I love you,--but there can be none of that softness of love between
us." Then there was a pause, but as he did not speak she went on.
"But remember, Frank,--our position is not equal. You have got over
your little complaint. It probably did not go deep with you, and you
have found a cure. Perhaps there is a satisfaction in finding that
two young women love you."

"You are trying to be cruel to me."

"Why else should you be here? You know I love you,--with all my
heart, with all my strength, and that I would give the world to cure
myself. Knowing this, you come and talk to me of your passion for
this other girl."

"I had hoped we might both talk rationally as friends."

"Friends! Frank Tregear, I have been bold enough to tell you I love
you; but you are not my friend, and cannot be my friend. If I have
before asked you to help me in this mean catastrophe of mine, in my
attack upon that poor boy, I withdraw my request. I think I will go
back to the house now."

"I will walk back to Ledburgh if you wish it without going to the
house again."

"No; I will have nothing that looks like being ashamed. You ought not
to have come, but you need not run away." Then they walked back to
the house together and found Miss Cassewary on the terrace. "We have
been to the lake," said Mabel, "and have been talking of old days.
I have but one ambition now in the world." Of course Miss Cassewary
asked what the remaining ambition was. "To get money enough to
purchase this place from the ruins of the Grex property. If I could
own the house and the lake, and the paddocks about, and had enough
income to keep one servant and bread for us to eat--of course
including you, Miss Cass--"

"Thank'ee, my dear; but I am not sure I should like it."

"Yes; you would. Frank would come and see us perhaps once a year. I
don't suppose anybody else cares about the place, but to me it is the
dearest spot in the world." So she went on in almost high spirits,
though alluding to the general decadence of the Grex family, till
Tregear took his leave.

"I wish he had not come," said Miss Cassewary when he was gone.

"W