ntroduce at the Wood House--a woman who has allowed you to
make love to her in her husband's lifetime!"

"Look here, Herrick," returned Cedric hoarsely--his fresh young face
looked quite gray--"not a word against her--not a word against my Leah.
You may be right about Jacobi--I have had my doubts about him once or
twice myself; he is not always kind to Leah, he bullies her dreadfully
and she is afraid of him, and he is too fond of getting his own way.
But I won't believe that she is to blame. Anyhow, she is more sinned
against than sinning. I will go to her to-morrow and make her tell me
everything. No one shall come between us--not even Saul Jacobi. Leah
shall account to me for this deception. I will get to the bottom of it
as sure as my name is Cedric Templeton."

Cedric spoke with an air of resolution that secretly surprised Malcolm.
"It will make a man of him," he said to himself--"it will make a man of
him." Then he put his hand on his shoulder.

"My dear boy," he said kindly, "I feel for you from the bottom of my
heart, but you must be very firm. There can be no compromise or
vacillation in a case like this; you must give her up, Cedric--you must
break off this unlucky engagement." But Cedric would not be induced to
promise this; he would decide nothing until he had seen Leah and heard
the whole story from her lips. "No one shall come between us," cried
the poor lad; "she is my promised wife." Then Malcolm's manner changed
and became more resolute.

"It will be a wrench, of course," he returned; "desperate diseases
require desperate remedies. But, Cedric, listen to me. If you refuse to
take my advice you will repent it all your life. If you go to Gresham
Gardens to-morrow you will be a lost man. The Jacobis will talk you
over and persuade you that black is white. At least let me accompany
you?" But Cedric absolutely refused this, and Malcolm could not press
it.

"You mean kindly, Herrick," he observed hurriedly, "but a man must
manage his own business. I shall have to leave you now, if I am to see
the Dean to-night and get permission for a few hours' absence; and as I
shall probably go up by the early train to-morrow, I shall not see you
again."

"I shall be in my rooms at Lincoln's Inn by mid-day," returned Malcolm,
"will you come to me there?" But Cedric hesitated.

"I shall have to go back to Oxford," he returned; "I think I had better
write to you." But this proposal by no means satisfied Malcolm.

"