nthony.

"I must--I will be heard!" he cried, seizing the reins of her horse, and
forcibly detaining her. "I see, Miss Whitmore, that this foul calumny is
believed by you and your father. I demand an explanation before you
leave this spot. William Mathews has accused me of being a villain--the
seducer of his sister: and I here tell him to his face that his
accusation is a hideous slander! Call hither your sister, Mr.
Mathews--let her determine the question: she knows that I am innocent. I
shrink not from the most rigid investigation of my conduct."

"Do as he bids you, Mr. Mathews," said the Captain. "Call here your
sister. I consider myself bound in justice to listen to Mr. Anthony
Hurdlestone's proposal."

Juliet's eyes involuntarily turned towards the garden gate; but her pale
cheek flushed to crimson as it unclosed, and the unfortunate umpire,
half led, half dragged forward by her brother, presented herself before
them. Even Anthony's presence of mind well nigh forsook him, as, with a
start, he recognised his cousin's unfortunate victim.

A few weeks had wrought a fearful change in the blooming and healthful
appearance of the poor girl. She looked like a young sapling tree, on
whose verdant head had fallen an incurable blight; an utter disregard of
the opinions of others, or what the world would say of her, was
manifested in her squalid appearance and total neglect of personal
neatness. The pride of the girl's heart had vanished with her
self-respect, and she stood before the strange group with a bold front
and unbending brow; yet her eye wandered vacantly from face to face, as
if perfectly unconscious of the real meaning of the scene.

Anthony had appealed to Mary to vindicate his character from the foul
aspersion cast upon him; but when she came he was so shocked by her
appearance that he was unable to speak to her.

"Mary," said her brother peremptorily, "is not this man your lover?"

Mary gazed upon Anthony sullenly, but returned no answer.

"Speak, Mary," said Anthony, addressing her with a degree of
compassionate tenderness. "Did you ever receive wrong or injury from me?
Did I ever address you as a lover, betray, or leave you to shame? Your
brother has accused me of all these crimes. Speak out, and tell the
truth."

Instead of answering his question in direct terms, the girl, who for the
first time comprehended the degrading situation in which she was placed,
and subdued by the kindness of Anthony's