xeter.

CHAPTER XXI.

LADY GRANT AT DRESDEN.

"You have first to believe the story as I tell it you, and get out of
your head altogether the story as you have conceived it." This was
said by Lady Grant to her brother when she had travelled all the way
to Dresden with the purpose of inducing him to take his wife back.
She had come there solely with that object, and it must be said of
her that she had well done her duty as a sister. But she found it by
no means easy to induce her brother to look at the matter with her
eyes. In fact, it was evident to her that he did not believe the
story as she had told it. She must go on and din it into his ears
till by perseverance she should change his belief. He still thought
that credit should be given to that letter from Sir Francis, although
he was aware that to Sir Francis himself as a man he would have given
no credit whatsoever. It had suited his suspicions to believe that
there had been something in common between Sir Francis and his wife
up to the moment in which the terrible fact of her engagement had
been made known to him; and from that belief he could not free his
mind. He had already been persuaded to say that she should come back
to him; but she should come as a sinner confessing her sin. He would
take her back, but as one whom he had been justified in expelling,
and to whom he should be held as extending great mercy.

But Lady Grant would not accept of his mercy, nor would she encourage
her coming back with such a purpose. It would not be good in the
first place for him that he should think that his wife had been an
offender. His future happiness must depend on his fixed belief in
her purity and truth. And, as for her,--Lady Grant was sure that no
entreaties would induce her to own that she had been in the wrong.
She desired to have no pardon asked, but would certainly ask for no
pardon on her own behalf.

"Why was it that he came, then, to my house?" asked Mr. Western.

"Am I, or rather is she, to account for the conduct of such a man as
that? Are you to make her responsible for his behaviour?"

"She was engaged to him."

"Undoubtedly. It should have been told to you,--though I can
understand the reasons which kept her silent from day to day. The
time will come when you will understand it also, and know, as I do,
how gracious and how feminine has been her silence." Then there came
across her brother's face a look of doubt as indicating his feeling
th