believed that
he knew her full history; but on their wedding-day he found that she
was, to all appearance, the daughter of a man who was a convict.
Therefore--continued the story--the young couple had agreed to separate.
Lord Arleigh, although loving his wife most dearly, felt himself
compelled to part from her. He preferred that his ancient and noble
race should become extinct rather than that it should be tarnished by an
alliance with the offspring of crime. Lady Arleigh agreed with her
husband, and took up her abode at the Dower House, surrounded by every
mark of esteem and honor. Then the story reverted to the Earl of
Mountdean's lost child, and how, at length, to the intense delight of
the husband and father, it was discovered that Lady Arleigh was no other
than the long-lost daughter of Lord Mountdean.

As the earl had said, the only obscure point in the narrative was how
Lord Arleigh had been deceived. Evidently it was not his wife who had
deceived him--who, therefore, could it have been? That the world was
never to know.

It was extraordinary how the story spread, and how great was the
interest it excited. There was not a man or woman in all England who did
not know it.

When the earl deemed that full reparation had been made to his daughter,
he agreed that she should go to Beechgrove.

The country will never forget that home-coming. It was on a brilliant
day toward the end of July. The whole country side was present to bid
Lady Arleigh welcome--the tenants, servants, dependents, friends;
children strewed flowers in her path, flags and banners waved in the
sunlit air, there was a long procession with bands of music, there were
evergreen arches with "Welcome Home" in monster letters.

It was difficult to tell who was cheered most heartily--the fair young
wife whose beauty won all hearts, the noble husband, or the gallant earl
whose pride and delight in his daughter were so great. Lord Arleigh said
a few words in response to this splendid reception--and he was not
ashamed of His own inability to finish what he had intended to say.

There had never been such a home-coming within one's memory The old
house was filled with guests, all the _elite_ of the county were there.
There was a grand dinner, followed by a grand ball, and there was
feasting for the tenantry--everything that could be thought of for the
amusement of the vast crowd.

On that evening, while the festivities were at their height, Lord
Arleigh