yourself there without
knowing his determination. For myself such a misfortune would have been
a death blow."

Every word went burning to Roderick's heart, but he had to master his
own agony a moment, in the effort to support Pauline who had utterly
broken down. When she had recovered sufficiently, he protested tenderly
that there was a mystery in all this which he was unable to fathom, and
entreated her to help him discover it by telling him minutely all that
had happened since they had last met. She gradually summoned strength
and composure enough to do so, relating in detail the scene in Cathedral
square; the arrival of the Lieutenant-Governor's aide-de-camp; his
delivering of a letter to her father; the conversation that took place
between the latter and the officer; her father's visit to the Chateau;
his return therefrom; and, relapsing into tears, she narrated how her
father had found her reading a note from Roderick, and how he had
ordered her to cast it into the fire.

The young officer did not lose the significance of a word. At first the
mystery remained as impenetrable as ever, but after a while a thread of
suspicion wove itself into his brain. He tried to brush it away,
however, by rubbing his hand violently over his brow and eyes. It was
too painful. It was too odious. Finally, he asked:

"Did your father give any reason why you should burn my note?"

"Ah! Roddy, why do you force me to say it? When I told him that you had
sent him your regards, he replied '_he has just sent me his hate!_'"

These words solved the mystery. Hardinge saw through it all, distinctly,
sharply, unmistakeably. He drew a long breath, and his broad chest
swelled with the fresh air from the river.

"Pauline, my dear," he said with that tender authority with which a
strong man can miraculously revive a weak, drooping woman, "Pauline,
take heart. It is all a terrible mistake and it will be explained. Your
father has suspected me of a dreadful thing, but I am innocent and will
convince him of it. I will see him this very night and make him and you
happy."

She raised her hands imploringly.

"Fear nothing, darling, I am as certain as that we are standing here
together, that it is all a fearful misunderstanding, and that I will
make it clear to your father, in a quarter of an hour's conversation."

"But why not tell me, and I will tell him?"

"Because there are several points connected with the matter with which
you are not fam