her face. She looked as though
she had spent a night of weeping, that had dimmed her beauty; the hand
she gave him was icy cold. Perhaps she read the silent pity in
Malcolm's eyes, for her lips quivered.

"I am not ill--not really ill," she said quickly; "only I have not
slept, and the night was so terrible. You were right to come early, Mr.
Herrick; sometimes Saul takes an earlier train than he says. He has
done that two or three times; he declares he never really trusts me. He
made me promise not to go in the Gardens this morning, so I was obliged
to stay at home."

"Will you tell me why your brother has gone to Oxford?" asked Malcolm,
with a keen, steady glance, under which she grew still paler.

"Yes, I will tell you: he has gone to see Cedric. He was waiting for me
when I got back yesterday, and he saw at once by my face that something
had happened. Oh, you don't know Saul--when he means to find a thing
out he is like a gimlet, one has no chance at all. He held my wrists
until I told him everything--you can see how bruised they are," and she
showed him the purple marks. "Oh, how angry he was! I never saw him in
such a rage before, but it only made him more determined to hurry on
the marriage."

"He has no objection then to your marrying a pauper?" asked Malcolm
coolly, but inwardly he was boiling with impotent wrath.

"Oh, he will not believe that Cedric is poor," she returned sadly; "he
only laughs at the idea of Miss Templeton disinheriting him. 'She wants
to frighten him, and to choke us off, but I know a trick worth two of
that,' was all he said; and then he cooled down, and called me a little
fool, and bade me bring him the time-table, and ten minutes later he
told me he was going to Oxford to arrange things with Cedric."

"You mean about your marriage?"

"Yes; it was fixed for next week, but last evening I received this
telegram," and Leah put it in his hand. She had said all this in a
weary, mechanical voice, as though she were reciting a lesson she had
learnt by heart.

"Make preparations at once--Cedric returns with me--function day after
to-morrow, nine sharp--all arranged--hang results." Malcolm's lip
curled with disgust as he gave it back to her.

"Do you understand it?" she asked, as though distrustful of his quiet
bearing. "Saul has hurried things on because he is afraid. He does not
trust Cedric: he thinks he is weak and easily influenced, and fears
that you may get hold of him again; his