ng to her, that she could not be angry, that she
could not help pitying him.

"Don't," she said, gently; "don't, Sir Ronald. You are only paining
yourself and paining me. What I told you before, you force me to tell
you again. I don't love you, and I can't be your wife."

"I don't expect you to love me yet," he said, eagerly; "how should you?
I will wait, I will do everything under Heaven you wish, only give me
hope. Give me a chance, Kate! I love you so truly and entirely, that it
will win a return sooner or later."

"Ah! don't talk to me," she said, with an impatient sigh; "don't talk to
me of love. I have done with that, my heart feels like dust and ashes. I
am not worthy of you--I am not worthy of such devotion. I thank you, Sir
Ronald, for the honour you do me; but I cannot--I cannot marry you!"

"And you will let that poltroon Stanford boast, as he does boast, that
you will live and die single for his sake!" he cried, bitterly. "He has
made it the subject of a bet in a London club-room with Major Lauderdale
of the Guards."

"No!" said she, her face flushing, her eyes kindling; "he never did
that!"

"He did do it. I have proof of it. You loved him so well--he
boasted--that you would never marry. He and Lauderdale made the bet."

She drew a long, hard breath, her eyes flashing, her white teeth
clenched.

"The dastard," she cried; "the mean, lying, cowardly dastard! Oh, if I
were a man!"

"Take your revenge without being a man. Prove him a liar and a boaster.
Marry me!"

She did not answer; but he read hope in her flushed and excited face.

"Besides," he artfully went on, "what will you do here? You have no
longer a home when your father marries; unless you can consent to be
subject to the woman who was once his housekeeper. You will have no
place in the world; you will only be an incumbrance; your step-mother
will wish you out of the way, and your father will learn to wish as his
new wife does. Oh, Kate, come with me! Come to Glen Keith, and reign
there; we will travel over the world; you shall have every luxury that
wealth can procure; your every wish shall be gratified; you shall queen
it, my beautiful one, over the necks of those who have slighted and
humiliated you. Leave this hateful Canada, and come with me as my
wife--as Lady Keith!"

"Don't! don't!" she cried, lifting her hand to stop his passionate
pleading. "You bewilder me; you take my breath away! Give me time; let
me think; my head is wh