her strong nerves to bear. She tottered and would have
fallen had I not caught her. I carried her to the bed, and Madge called
Lady Crawford. Dorothy had swooned.

When she wakened she said dreamily:--

"I shall always keep this cloak and gown."

Aunt Dorothy thought the words were but the incoherent utterances of a
dimly conscious mind, but I knew they were the deliberate expression of a
justly grateful heart.

The following evening trouble came about over the matter of the marriage
contract.

You remember I told you that Sir George had sent Lady Crawford as an
advance guard to place the parchment in the enemy's hands. But the advance
guard feared the enemy and therefore did not deliver the contract directly
to Dorothy. She placed it conspicuously upon the table, knowing well that
her niece's curiosity would soon prompt an examination.

I was sitting before the fire in Aunt Dorothy's room, talking to Madge
when Lady Crawford entered, placed the parchment on the table, and took a
chair by my side. Soon Dorothy entered the room. The roll of parchment,
brave with ribbons, was lying on the table. It attracted her attention at
once, and she took it in her hands.

"What is this?" she asked carelessly. Her action was prompted entirely by
idle curiosity. That, by the way, was no small motive with Dorothy. She
had the curiosity of a young doe. Receiving no answer, she untied the
ribbons and unrolled the parchment to investigate its contents for
herself. When the parchment was unrolled, she began to read:--

"In the name of God, amen. This indenture of agreement, looking to union
in the holy bonds of marriage between the Right Honorable Lord James
Stanley of the first part, and Mistress Dorothy Vernon of Haddon of the
second part--"

She read no farther. She crumpled the beautiful parchment in her hands,
walked over to the fire, and quietly placed the sacred instrument in the
midst of the flames. Then she turned away with a sneer of contempt upon
her face and--again I grieve to tell you this--said:--

"In the name of God, amen. May this indenture be damned."

"Dorothy!" exclaimed Lady Crawford, horrified at her niece's profanity. "I
feel shame for your impious words."

"I don't care what you feel, aunt," retorted Dorothy, with a dangerous
glint in her eyes. "Feel as you wish, I meant what I said, and I will say
it again if you would like to hear it. I will say it to father when I see
him. Now, Aunt Dorothy, I love