recarious a situation. It
was part of her punishment, she told herself for her sins of deceit
and unmaidenliness in encouraging and meeting a clandestine lover.

She had gone through some very bitter hours since her tryst at the
ruins. The process of cutting off a malignant growth that has become
part of oneself is none the less painful because the conviction is
clear that it is for one's health to do so, and the will is firm not
to falter. Not the less is the flesh mangled, do nerves throb, and
veins bleed. But Madeleine was determined that nobody should even
guess her sufferings.

Rupert had counted upon Sophia's old habit of obedience to him, and
upon her superstitious terrors not to betray to the young girl the
part he had played in the unmasking of her lover; but he had an
unexpected, and even more powerful ally in Madeleine's own pride. When
Miss Sophia had tremblingly endeavoured to falter out a few words of
sympathy and sorrow, upon the distressing subject, Madeleine quickly
interrupted her.

"Never speak even his name again, Sophia; all that is finished for
me."

There was such a cold finality in her voice, that the poor confidant's
expansiveness withered up within her beyond even the hope of
blossoming again.

When Rupert heard of Captain Jack's latest doings, and especially of
his sister-in-law's disappearance, he thought that the fates were
propitious indeed. In his wildest schemes he could not have planned
anything that would have suited his game more perfectly.

Though he thought it incumbent upon him to pull a face of desperate
length whenever the subject was touched, in his innermost soul he had
hardly ever enjoyed so delightful a joke as this denouement to his
brother's marriage and to his cousin's engagement. And, strange to
say, though he would most gravely protest against any interpretation
of his kinswoman's disappearance save the one which must most redound
to her credit, the story, started by the gossips in the village upon
the return of the revenue men, that Lady Landale had bolted with the
handsome smuggler, grew and spread apace all over the county, more
especially from such houses as Rupert was wont to visit.

That all his hints and innuendoes should fail, apparently, to make
Madeleine put upon the case the interpretation he would have liked,
was at once a matter of secret sneering and of admiration to his
curiously complicated mind.

The days went by, to all appearance placidly eno