ge
under that woman's roof. Now she had repelled Lady Aylmer's counsels
with scorn, was living as a guest in Mrs. Askerton's house; and yet
he was willing to pass over the Askerton difficulty without a word.
He was willing not only to condone past offences, but to wink at
existing iniquity! But she,--she who was the sinner, would not permit
of this. She herself dragged up Mrs. Askerton's name, and seemed to
glory in her own shame.

"I had not intended," said he, "to speak of your friend."

"I only mention her to show how impossible it is that we should ever
agree upon some subjects,--as to which a husband and wife should
always be of one mind. I knew this from the moment in which I got
your letter,--and only that I was a coward I should have said so
then."

"And you mean to quarrel with me altogether?"

"No;--why should we quarrel?"

"Why, indeed?" said he.

"But I wish it to be settled,--quite settled, as from the nature of
things it must be, that there shall be no attempt at renewal of our
engagement. After what has passed, how could I enter your mother's
house?"

"But you need not enter it." Now in his emergency he was willing
to give up anything,--everything. He had been prepared to talk her
over into a reconciliation with his mother, to admit that there had
been faults on both sides, to come down from his high pedestal and
discuss the matter as though Clara and his mother stood upon the same
footing. Having recognised the spirit of his lady-love, he had told
himself that so much indignity as that must be endured. But now, he
had been carried so far beyond this, that he was willing, in the
sudden vehemence of his love, to throw his mother over altogether,
and to accede to any terms which Clara might propose to him. "Of
course, I would wish you to be friends," he said, using now all the
tones of a suppliant; "but if you found that it could not be so--"

"Do you think that I would divide you from your mother?"

"There need be no question as to that."

"Ah;--there you are wrong. There must be such questions. I should
have thought of it sooner."

"Clara, you are more to me than my mother. Ten times more." As he
said this he came up and knelt down beside her. "You are everything
to me. You will not throw me over." He was a suppliant indeed, and
such supplications are very potent with women. Men succeed often by
the simple earnestness of their prayers. Women cannot refuse to give
that which is asked for wi