with a
man who can and will strike back, not a poor friendless girl."

"Before Heaven, it was not my fault, Mr. Bingham," gasped the old man.
"I am innocent of it. That Judas-woman Elizabeth betrayed her sister
because she wanted to marry him herself," and he pointed to the Heap
upon the floor. "She thought that it would prejudice him against
Beatrice, and he--he believed that she was attached to you, and tried to
work upon her attachment."

"So," said Geoffrey, "now we have it all. And you, sir, stood by and
saw this done. You stood by thinking that you would make a profit of
her agony. Now I will tell you what I meant to hide from you. I did love
her. I do love her--as she loved me. I believe that between you, you
drove her to her grave. Her blood be on your heads for ever and for
ever!"

"Oh, take me home," groaned the Heap upon the floor--"take me home,
Elizabeth! I daren't go alone. Beatrice will haunt me. My brain goes
round and round. Take me away, Elizabeth, and stop with me. You are not
afraid of her, you are afraid of nothing."

Elizabeth sidled up to him, keeping her fierce eyes on Geoffrey all
the time. She was utterly cowed and terrified, but she could still look
fierce. She took the Heap by the hand and drew him thence still moaning
and quite crazed. She led him away to his castle and his wealth. Six
months afterwards she came forth with him to marry him, half-witted as
he was. A year and eight months afterwards she came out again to bury
him, and found herself the richest widow in Wales.

They went forth, leaving Geoffrey and Mr. Granger alone. The old man
rested his head upon the table and wept bitterly.

"Be merciful," he said, "do not say such words to me. I loved her,
indeed I did, but Elizabeth was too much for me, and I am so poor. Oh,
if you loved her also, be merciful! I do not reproach you because you
loved her, although you had no right to love her. If you had not loved
her, and made her love you, all this would never have happened. Why do
you say such dreadful things to me, Mr. Bingham?"

"I loved her, sir," answered Geoffrey, humbly enough now that his fury
had passed, "because being what she was all who looked on her must love
her. There is no woman left like her in the world. But who am I that I
should blame you? God forgive us all! I only live henceforth in the hope
that I may one day rejoin her where she has gone."

There was a pause.

"Mr. Granger," said Geoffrey presently,