, and treat you with scorn? If he
loves you as I love you, how could he write to you as he does write?
Would I write to you such a letter as that? Would I let you be here
without coming to you,--to be looked after by any one else? If you
had said that you would be my wife, would I leave you in solitude and
sorrow, and then send you seventy-five pounds to console you? If you
think he loves you, Clara--"

"He thought he was doing right when he sent me the money."

"But he shouldn't have thought it right. Never mind. I don't want to
accuse him; but this I know,--and you know; he does not love you as I
love you."

"What can I say to answer you?"

"Say that you will wait till you have seen him. Say that I may have a
hope,--a chance; that if he is cold, and hard, and,--and,--and, just
what we know he is, then I may have a chance."

"How can I say that when I am engaged to him? Cannot you understand
that I am wrong to let you speak of him as you do?"

"How else am I to speak of him? Tell me this. Do you love him?"

"Yes;--I do."

"I don't believe it!"

"Will!"

"I don't believe it. Nothing on earth shall make me believe it. It is
impossible;--impossible!"

"Do you mean to insult me, Will?"

"No; I do not mean to insult you, but I mean to tell you the truth. I
do not think you love that man as you ought to love the man whom you
are going to marry. I should tell you just the same thing if I were
really your brother. Of course it isn't that I suppose you love any
one else,--me for instance. I'm not such a fool as that. But I don't
think you love him; and I'm quite sure he doesn't love you. That's
just what I believe; and if I do believe it, how am I to help telling
you?"

"You've no right to have such beliefs."

"How am I to help it? Well;--never mind. I won't let you sit there
any longer. At any rate you'll be able to understand now that I shall
never come to this place any more." Clara, as she got up to obey him,
felt that she also ought never to see it again;--unless,
indeed,--unless--

They passed that evening together without any reference to the scene
on the rock, or any allusion to their own peculiar troubles. Clara,
though she would not admit to Mrs. Askerton that she was going away
from the place for ever, was not the less aware that such might very
probably be the case. She had no longer any rights of ownership at
Belton Castle, and all that had taken place between her and her
cousin tended to make