; that disgrace even could not
crush it down. Knowing all, he would go to her; she should not be alone
in her great, great trouble; she should find out in her hour of need the
kind of man whose heart she had won. His depression left him as he came
to this resolve, and he scarcely spent even an anxious night. On the
next day, however, he did not go to Charlotte; but about noon he sat
down and wrote her the following letter:--

MY DARLING:

You gave me up yesterday. I was--I don't mind telling you this
now--stunned, surprised, pained. Since then, however, I have
thought much; all my thought has been about you. Thought sometimes
leads to light, and light has come to me. Charlotte, a contract
entered into by two takes two to undo. I refuse to undo this
contract. Charlotte, I refuse to give you up. You are my promised
wife; our banns have been read twice in church already. Have you
forgotten this? In the eyes of both God and man you are almost
mine. To break off this engagement, unless I, too, wished it, would
be, whatever your motive, a _sin_. Charlotte, the time has come,
when we may ruin all the happiness of both our lives, unless very
plain words pass between us. I use very plain words when I tell you
that I most absolutely refuse to give you up. That being so,
_whatever_ your motive, you are committing a sin in refusing to
give yourself to me. My darling, it is you I want, not your
money--you--not--not--But I will add no more, except one thing.
Charlotte, I went this morning to Somerset House, and I _read your
grandfather's will_.

Now, what hour shall I come to you? Any hour you name I will fly
to you. It is impossible for you to refuse what I demand as a
right. But know that, if you do refuse, I will come
notwithstanding.

Yours ever,
JOHN HINTON.

This letter, being directed, was quickly posted, and in due time reached
its address at Prince's Gate.

Then a strange thing happened to it. Jasper Harman, passing through the
hall, saw the solitary letter waiting for his niece. It was his habit to
examine every letter that came within his reach; he took up this one for
no particular reason, but simply from the force of this long
established habit. But having taken it in his hand, he knew the
writing. The letter was from Hinton, and Charlotte had told him--had
just told him--that her engageme