cousin not in love with you! After all the years during
which you have been meant for each other! Impossible, Nell! Robin _must_
be in love with you."

"He is not; he never has been. That is my consolation, so far as he is
concerned. Father, why did you keep from me the fact that Captain
Langrishe was fighting the Wazees? Why did you?"

The General's colour deserted his cheeks once again.

"Poor Langrishe! What was the good of letting you know, Nell? You used
to be--interested in the poor fellow."

"You shouldn't have kept it from me. I didn't read the newspapers, or I
should have known. Do you know why I didn't read them? Because if I had
I must have turned to the army news. I was fighting that as a
temptation. I was trying to drive him from my mind. I kept away from his
sister, although she had been kind to me; I went nowhere where I might
hear his name. Then to-day I met her by accident. I went home with her.
She told me--do you know what she told me?"

"What, Nell?"

"That her brother went away under the impression that I was engaged to
Robin Drummond. Aunt Matilda had told her so and she had told him. So
that is why he left me."

"I see," the General groaned. "A nice lot of trouble has come out of
that scheme of your Aunt Matilda's for marrying you and Robin. I never
would agree to it; I used to say: 'Let it be till the children are old
enough to choose for themselves.' I wish I had taken a stronger stand. I
only wished for your happiness, Nell. I always liked poor Langrishe, and
felt I could trust him with even what I held dearest on earth. I did my
best for you, Nell. If I kept his danger from you, it was only that I
hoped to keep you from suffering like those other poor women."

She did not notice the haggardness of his face, nor the repetition of
"Poor Langrishe." She was too much absorbed in getting to the root of
things. She was determined to know everything.

"What happened when you went to Tilbury?"

Was this young inquisitor his Nell?

"I didn't see him. The boat had gone."

"And I thought you had offered me to him, and that he had rejected me!
Oh, I know you would have done it in the most delicate way. There need
not have been a word spoken. But it would have been the same thing in
the end. I thought his love was not great enough to conquer his pride."

"My train broke down, Nell; I came ten minutes too late. I thought the
hand of God was in it."

"It was a mere accident. God had nothing