still sorry, Cassandra?"

"I--don't--know!" sighed Cassandra slowly. "In one way I shall be
almost glad when the strain is over. I've come to see that, for him,
it's the best way out. He wasn't made to live alone. She will make him
happy--not so happy as I could have done, but he has wasted enough time,
and it's useless waiting on... Oh, he will patch up his life, Grizel.--
It will be all new--so many interests cropping up.--He won't have time
to think. And I shall settle down better when it's all over. Teresa's
husband won't be my Dane! ... My poor little love story! it had a very
short course.--I wonder if any other married woman ever loved so wisely
and so well!"

Grizel made an eloquent gesture.

"Hundreds! Thousands! Do you suppose you are the only woman who has
met the right man too late? Do you suppose you are the only woman who
has the decency to keep to her bond? There are thousands of them! You
meet them in every street. But they are silent. It's the _other_ women
you hear of,--the women who fill the divorce courts; the women who
_don't_ stay at home, and do their duty..."

"As I am doing mine!" sighed Cassandra again. Then suddenly the colour
flew to her face. "There's one thing, Grizel, that I cannot face, and
that is being here for the marriage. Think of the fuss and commotion--
all the town agog, flags out of the windows, the church bells ringing...
They'll ring them at Beston, too, at his old church... Grizel.--I
could not endure those bells."

"You won't hear them. We're going away. I've planned it all, and
you've nothing to do but to obey. I'm going to have a nervous
breakdown," announced Grizel, with a smirk. "Poor young wife! So sad.
Ordered abroad, and her husband absolutely _tied_ at home: obliged to
finish a book. Lady Cassandra has taken her. Some sort of retreat,
they say. Sounds very suspicious,--but she always _was_ excitable!
Pitiful for him, poor man! His _second_ wife!"

"Grizel! How can you?" In spite of herself Cassandra was laughing now.
"But you are a darling. It would be salvation. If I were at home I
should be obliged to go to the wedding, which would be torture for
myself, and they would be happier without me! Oh, let us go, do let us
go! I'd be so thankful..."

"We _are_ going. There's no doubt about that, but it's as well to be
prepared for emergencies. Do you think the Squire will object."

"Oh no. Not now. He'll be quite pleased. I h