ay as well assure you that parleying is useless. I have known,
from the first moment you entered this house, just upon what terms you
stood with Mrs. Arthur. Don't trouble yourself to ask how I know.
Perhaps you have been puzzled to know why Mrs. Arthur and her brother
so suddenly became cordial and invited you to Oakley, where you so
much desired to be. Let me enlighten you. They fancied that you had
regained possession of important documents--two marriage certificates,
in fact--for they had lost them."

"What?" ejaculated Percy.

"And--I found them," added Madeline.

His countenance fell again.

"They are in my possession," pursued she. "Shall I show them to Miss
Arthur, or not?"

"It can't make much difference now," said the man, sullenly.

"Let us understand each other fully," said Madeline. "I am not acting
in concert with Cora Arthur. She is even more in my power than you
are. I have no desire to undeceive Miss Arthur. Neither do I wish you
to leave Oakley. On the contrary, I want you here; you can be of
service to me, by and by. And I pledge you my word that so long as you
remain under this roof, those papers shall not be used against you."

"And if I don't choose to remain?"

Madeline laughed. "Then you must take the consequences," she said,
carelessly.

"And what will they be?"

"Exposure and arrest."

Percy drew pen, ink, and paper toward him. "What shall I write to the
clergyman?" he asked, sullenly.

"Whatever you choose. And I will send it. Make your peace with Miss
Arthur, too, in your own way."

"And when I leave Oakley, what then?" he grunted.

"Then, if you have fulfilled the conditions, I will burn the papers in
your presence, and you are free henceforth."

"There is the note," he said, flinging it toward her as soon as
written. "After all, I may as well be in your power as in hers," and
again he arose to go from the room.

"I am glad you take so sensible a view of it," retorted she, looking
up from her perusal of his note. "Good-night, Mr. Percy."

And thus cavalierly dismissed, Mr. Percy bowed, somewhat less
gallantly than when entering, and left the room.

"So, that is nipped in the bud," soliloquized Madeline, as she went
wearily to her own room once more. "When will this miserable
complication unravel itself, or be unraveled?"

Little did she dream how soon she would receive an answer to this
question.

CHAPTER XLVII.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

The next morn