aid heavily.

"My dear, why?" Isabel's hand sought and held his. "How could you be to
blame?"

"I forced it on," he said. "I--in a way--compelled Eustace to propose. He
wasn't serious till then. I made him serious."

"Oh, Stumpy, you!" Incredulity and reproach mingled in Isabel's tone.

She would have withdrawn her hand, but his fingers closed upon it. "I
made a mistake," he said, with dreary conviction, "a great mistake,
though God knows I meant well; and now it is out of my power to set it
right. I thought her heart was involved. I know now it was not. It's hard
on him too in a way, because he is very much in earnest now, whatever he
was before. I was a fool--I was a fool--not to let things take their
course. She would have suffered, but it would have been soon over.
Whereas now--" He stopped himself abruptly. "It's no good talking.
There's nothing to be done. He may--after marriage--break her in to
loving him, but if he does--if he does--" his hand clenched with sudden
force upon Isabel's--"it won't be Dinah any more," he said. "It'll
be--another woman; one who is satisfied with--a very little."

His hand relaxed as suddenly as it had closed. He lay still with a face
like marble.

Isabel sat motionless by his side for several seconds. She was gazing
straight before her with eyes that seemed to read the future.

"How did you compel him to propose?" she asked presently.

He shrugged his narrow shoulders slightly. "I can do these things,
Isabel, if I try. But I wish I'd killed myself now before I interfered.
As I tell you, I was a fool--a fool."

He ceased to speak and sat in the silence of a great despair.

Isabel said nought to comfort him. Her tragic eyes still seemed to be
gazing into the future.

After many minutes Scott turned his head and looked at her. "Isabel, I
wish you would try to keep her with you as much as possible. Tell Eustace
what you have just told me! There is certainly no time to lose if she is
really to be married in three weeks from now!"

"I suppose he would never consent to put it off," Isabel said slowly.

"He certainly would not." Scott rose with a restless movement that said
more than words. "He is on fire for her. Can't you see it? There is
nothing to be done unless she herself wishes to be released. And I don't
think that is very likely to happen."

"He would never give her up," Isabel said with conviction.

"If she desired it, he would," Scott's reply held an even more abs