piritless upon a broken bough to the convenience of any
passing hand. "Nay, nay; give me only the rich, ripe pomegranate; my
Katherine, Kate! Kate!" and blinded thus by the fever of desire to
possess only his sweet Kate, he swung wide the door of Constance's
room and passed to the bedside and leant over and kissed her.

She flushed red as she met his eyes--now cold and
unimpassioned--looking into the very depths of her own. He saw the
sudden scarlet that mantled her face, and knew--knew she loved him.
And his heart went out to her, for he was attached to the russet
thing, an attachment heretofore unnamed, but now--now suddenly
christened with that parsimonious appellation--pity; the object
of which is never satisfied. But he had naught else to give, for
Katherine had suddenly impoverished him.

"'Tis generous of thee, Cedric, to break from thy gay company; what
are they engaged in?"

"Various,--some at cards, others at music--"

"And what was thy pastime that thou couldst sever thyself so
agreeably?"

"I was listening to Bettie, and she on a sudden remarked of thy
indisposition. I straightway came to note thy ailing. I have talked
not with thee in private since thy arrival, and there is much news.
Hast seen her, Constance, to talk with her?"

"Whom meanest thou? There are many 'hers' in the house!"

"The beauty that flew to me over seas, of course; whom else could I
mean?"

"Oh! oh! to be sure; the maid from Quebec. Aye, I talked with her
some. Thou sayest she is Sir John Penwick's daughter?"

"Aye, and she's a glorious beauty, eh, Constance?"

"But how camest thou by her?"

Cedric reached to that nearest his heart and drew forth Sir John's
letter and gave it opened into Constance's hand. She read it with
blazing eyes and great eagerness; for 'twas a bundle of weapons she
was examining and would take therefrom her choice. She flashed forth
queries as to the probability of this or that with a semblance of
interest that disarmed Cedric and made him wonder if this woman
loved to such an extent, she could fling aside her own interests
and submerge all jealousy, all self-love into the purest of all
sacrifices, abnegation?

"What! no estates? That looks ill, for at one time Sir John was
affluent, for Aunt Hettie has told me of him many a time."

"But he lost it all, as I've heard ofttime from father; he has spoken
not infrequent of Sir John's high living; he had great demesne, a
great heart and great temper;