that I have not been told the whole truth."
Then he stopped, as though in spite of his injunction as to her
silence he expected an answer from her. But she made none, though
there came a cloud of anger upon her face. "I suppose, I say, that
there is something of which it is not considered necessary that I
should be informed. There must be something of the kind, or you would
hardly abandon prospects which a few days since appeared to you to be
so desirable."

"I have not thought it necessary to speak of your temper," she said.

"Nor of your own."

"Nor of my own," she added.

"But there is, I take it, something beyond that. I do not think that
my temper, bad as it may be,--nor your own,--would have sufficed to
estrange you. There must be something more palpable than temper to
have occasioned it. And though you have not thought fit to tell me,
you must feel that my position justifies me in asking. Have you
another lover?"

"No," she exclaimed, burning with wrath but with head so turned from
him that he should not see her.

"Nor have ever had one? I am entitled to ask the question, though
perhaps I should have asked it before."

"You are at any rate not entitled to ask it now. Sir Francis
Geraldine, between you and me all is over. I can only beg you to
understand most positively that all is over."

"My dear Miss Holt, you need not insist upon that, as it is perfectly
understood."

"Then there need be no further words. If I have done you any wrong I
ask your pardon. You have wronged me only in your thoughts. I must
take what consolation I can from the feeling that the injury will
fall chiefly upon my head and not upon yours." Then without a further
word of farewell she marched out of the room.

Sir Francis, when he found himself alone, shook himself, as it were,
as he rose from the sofa, and looked about the room in amazement. It
was quite true that she was gone--gone, as far as he was concerned,
for ever. It did not occur to him for a moment that there could be
any reconciliation between them, and his first feeling undoubtedly
was one of amazed disappointment. Then, standing there in Mrs. Holt's
drawing-room, he began to bethink himself what could have been the
cause of it. Since the first week of his engagement he had begun and
had continued to tell himself what great things he was about to do
for Cecilia Holt. With her beauty, her grace, her dignity, and her
accomplishments he was quite satisfied. It was ex