tting the sadness of the day. Even in death we must think of
life, and if it were well for you and me that we should be together,
it would surely have been but a foolish ceremony between us to have
abstained from telling each other that it would be so because my aunt
had died last week. But it may be, and I think it is the case, that
the feelings arising from her death have made us both too
precipitate."

"I don't understand how that can be."

"You have been anxious to keep a promise made to her, without
considering sufficiently whether in doing so you would secure your
own happiness; and I--"

"I don't know about you, but as regards myself I must be considered
to be the best judge."

"And I have been too much in a hurry in believing that which I wished
to believe."

"What do you mean by all this, Clara?"

"I mean that our engagement shall be at an end;--not necessarily so
for always. But that as an engagement binding us both, it shall for
the present cease to exist. You shall be again free--"

"But I don't choose to be free."

"When you think of it you will find it best that it should be so. You
have performed your promise honestly, even though at a sacrifice to
yourself. Luckily for you,--for both of us, I should say,--the full
truth has come out; and we can consider quietly what will be best for
us to do, independently of that promise. We will part, therefore, as
dear friends, but not as engaged to each other as man and wife."

"But we are engaged, and I will not hear of its being broken."

"A lady's word, Fred, is always the most potential before
marriage;--and you must therefore yield to me in this matter. I am
sure your judgment will approve of my decision when you think of it.
There shall be no engagement between us. I shall consider myself
quite free,--free to do as I please altogether; and you, of course,
will be free also."

"If you please, of course it must be so."

"I do please, Fred."

"And yesterday, then, is to go for nothing."

"Not exactly. It cannot go for nothing with me. I told you too many
of my secrets for that. But nothing that was done or said yesterday
is to be held as binding upon either of us."

"And you made up your mind to that last night?"

"It is at any rate made up to that now. Come,--I shall have to go
without my breakfast if I do not eat it at once. Will you have your
tea now, or wait and take it comfortably when I am gone?"

Captain Aylmer breakfasted with her, a