ly take it
back?"

He took it, abashed.

"Mr. Davies," she went on, looking him full in the eyes, "I hope that
there will be no more such mistakes. Please understand that I cannot
accept presents from you."

"If Mr. Bingham had sent it, you would have accepted it," he muttered
sulkily.

Beatrice turned and flashed such a look on him that he fell back and
left her. But it was true, and she knew that it was true. If Geoffrey
had given her a sixpence with a hole in it, she would have valued it
more than all the diamonds on earth. Oh! what a position was hers.
And it was wrong, too. She had no right to love the husband of another
woman. But right or wrong the fact remained: she did love him.

And the worst of it was that, as she well knew, sooner or later all
this about Mr. Davies must come to the ears of her father, and then what
would happen? One thing was certain. In his present poverty-stricken
condition he would move heaven and earth to bring about her marriage to
this rich man. Her father never had been very scrupulous where money was
concerned, and the pinch of want was not likely to make him more so.

Nor, we may be sure, did all this escape the jealous eye of Elizabeth.
Things looked black for her, but she did not intend to throw up the
cards on that account. Only it was time to lead trumps. In other words,
Beatrice must be fatally compromised in the eyes of Owen Davies, if by
any means this could be brought about. So far things had gone well for
her schemes. Beatrice and Geoffrey loved each other, of that Elizabeth
was certain. But the existence of this secret, underhand affection would
avail her naught unless it could be ripened into acts. Everybody is free
to indulge in secret predilections, but if once they are given way to,
if once a woman's character is compromised, then the world avails itself
of its opportunities and destroys her. What man, thought Elizabeth,
would marry a compromised woman? If Beatrice could be compromised, Owen
Davies would not take her to wife--therefore this must be brought about.

It sounds wicked and unnatural. "Impossible that sister should so treat
sister," the reader of this history may say, thinking of her own, and of
her affectionate and respectable surroundings. But it is not impossible.
If you, who doubt, will study the law reports, and no worse occupation
can be wished to you, you will find that such things are possible.
Human nature can rise to strange heights, and it