's mind, and knew also what had been in her own!
She remembered how proudly she had disdained the advice of this woman
when it had been given to her. And yet now she must go to her and ask
for mercy. She saw no other way out of her immediate trouble. She
did not believe but that her friend would be silent when told to be
silent; but yet how painfully disgraceful to her, the bride, would be
the telling.

She went up to Miss Altifiorla's room after she had gone for the
night, and found her friend getting into bed, happy with the
assistance of a strange maid. "Oh, my dear," said Miss Altifiorla,
"my hair is not half done yet; are you in a hurry for Mary?"

"I will go to my own room," said Mrs. Western, "and when Mary will
tell me that you are ready I will come to you. There is something
I have to tell you." She had not been five minutes in her own room
before Mary summoned her. The "something to be told" took immediate
hold of Miss Altifiorla's imagination, and induced her to be ready
for bed with her hair, we may suppose, "half done."

"Francesca," said Mrs. Western, as soon as she entered the room, "I
have a favour to ask you."

"A favour?"

"Yes, a favour." She had come prepared with her request down to the
very words in which it should be uttered. "I do not wish you, while
you remain here, to make any allusion to Sir Francis Geraldine."
Miss Altifiorla almost whistled as she heard the words spoken. "You
understand me, do you not? I do not wish any word to be said which
may by chance lead to the mention of Sir Francis Geraldine's name. If
you will understand that, you will be able to comply with my wishes."
Her request she made almost in the stern words of an absolute order.
There was nothing humble in her demeanour, nothing which seemed to
tell of a suppliant. And having given her command she remained quiet,
waiting for an answer.

"Then this was the reason why you didn't answer me. You did not want
to see me, and therefore remained silent."

"I did not want to see you. But it was not on that account that I
remained silent. I should have written to you. Indeed I have written
to you, and the letter would have gone to-day. I wrote to you putting
you off. But as you are here I have to tell you my wishes. I am sure
that you will do as I would have you."

"I have to think of my duty," said Miss Altifiorla.

Then there came a black frown on Mrs. Western's brow. Duty! What duty
could she have in such a matter, exc