ny legal proceedings until she had tried
to confer with Sir William again.

"There is some mistake, I feel sure," he said, "some misunderstanding
which might be explained if proper measures were adopted."

"A mistake!" repeated Virgie, scornfully, her eyes blazing with
indignation. "I imagine that the only mistake about the whole matter is
that I allowed myself to become the dupe of an unprincipled man."

"It can at least do no harm to write him what your intentions are,"
suggested Mr. Knight, mildly.

"I wrote him letter after letter while I was in New York. Mrs. Farnum, of
whom I have told you, knew the whole family, and wrote of me to Lady
Linton, but they appeared to be in total ignorance of even my existence,
while Mrs. Farnum asserted that Sir William had been engaged for years to
Miss Stanhope, and I have already told you of his subsequent marriage with
her."

"Still I cannot comprehend how he should dare to commit such a wrong,"
persisted Mr. Knight. "He must have known that his marriage with you was
legal, according to the laws of the State in which it occurred, and the
mere fact of his leaving the country could not annul it. If he had assumed
a name while he was here, it would not seem so inexplicable, but all the
papers which you hold go to show that he married you under his own name
and title; while your description of the character of the man makes it
seem utterly impossible that he should be guilty of such conduct."

"True. When I think of that, I am heart-broken," said Virgie, breaking
down for a moment. "He seemed so true and noble in every respect, and he
was particular to have his title appear in the certificate, although he
did not adopt it while traveling because he found he was less conspicuous
as plain Mr. Heath."

"It almost seems to me as if some plot had been laid to separate you,"
said Mr. Knight, thoughtfully.

"Impossible! How could such a thing be?" queried Virgie, skeptically. "Who
would plot against us?"

"Your letters on both sides may have been intercepted by some enemy with
that end in view."

"He has no enemy that I am aware of; neither have I. I did not know a
single individual when I went to New York, so there was no one there who
would be likely to meddle with our correspondence. More than this, if he
did not hear from me, and was true to me, or had possessed an atom of
affection for his child, it is but natural to suppose that he would have
taken prompt measures to asce