acy only gathered fresh encouragement from that appeal to his
better sense.

"I insist on returning to it."

She had resolved to bear anything from him--as her fit punishment for
the deception of which she had been guilty. But it was not in womanhood
(at the moment when the first words of her confession were trembling on
her lips) to endure Horace's unworthy suspicion of her. She rose from
her seat and met his eye firmly.

"I refuse to degrade myself, and to degrade Mr. Julian Gray, by
answering you," she said.

"Consider what you are doing," he rejoined. "Change your mind, before it
is too late!"

"You have had my reply."

Those resolute words, that steady resistance, seemed to infuriate him.
He caught her roughly by the arm.

"You are as false as hell!" he cried. "It's all over between you and
me!"

The loud threatening tone in which he had spoken penetrated through
the closed door of the dining-room. The door instantly opened. Julian
returned to the library.

He had just set foot in the room, when there was a knock at the
other door--the door that opened on the hall. One of the men-servants
appeared, with a telegraphic message in his hand. Mercy was the first to
see it. It was the Matron's answer to the letter which she had sent to
the Refuge.

"For Mr. Julian Gray?" she asked.

"Yes, miss."

"Give it to me."

She signed to the man to withdraw, and herself gave the telegram to
Julian. "It is addressed to you, at my request," she said. "You will
recognize the name of the person who sends it, and you will find a
message in it for me."

Horace interfered before Julian could open the telegram.

"Another private understanding between you!" he said. "Give me that
telegram."

Julian looked at him with quiet contempt.

"It is directed to Me," he answered--and opened the envelope.

The message inside was expressed in these terms: "I am as deeply
interested in her as you are. Say that I have received her letter, and
that I welcome her back to the Refuge with all my heart. I have
business this evening in the neighborhood. I will call for her myself at
Mablethorpe House."

The message explained itself. Of her own free-will she had made the
expiation complete! Of her own free-will she was going back to the
martyrdom of her old life! Bound as he knew himself to be to let no
compromising word or action escape him in the presence of Horace, the
irrepressible expression of Julian's admiration glowed in his