elf
before, came hurriedly forward and confronted them. His face was very
pale, but there was an angry light in his eyes and a bitter sneer upon
his lips.

"Well, Correlli, I am bound to confess that you have stolen a march
upon us to-night, in fine style," he remarked, in a mocking tone, "and
madam--Mrs. Correlli, I should say--allow me to observe that you have
outshone yourself this evening, both as an actress and a beauty!
Really, the surprise, the _denouement_, to which you have treated us
surpasses anything in my experience; it was certainly worthy of a
Dumas! Permit me to offer you my heartiest congratulations."

Edith crimsoned with anger to her brows and shot a look of scorn at
the man, for his manner was bitterly insolent and his tone had been
violent with wounded feeling and derision throughout his speech.

"Let this wretched farce end here and now," she said, straightening
herself and lifting her flashing eyes to his face. "I am heartily sick
of it, and I trust you will never again presume to address me by the
name that you have just used."

"Indeed! and are you so soon weary of your new title? Not yet an hour
a bride, and sick of your bargain!" retorted Gerald Goddard, with a
mocking laugh.

"I am no 'bride,' as you very well know, sir," spiritedly returned
Edith.

The man regarded her with a look of astonishment.

He had been very much interested in his wife's clever play, until the
last act, when he had been greatly startled by the change in the
leading characters, both of whom he had instantly recognized in spite
of their masks. He wondered why they had been substituted for Alice
and Walter Kerby; when, upon also recognizing the clergyman, it had
flashed upon him that this last scene was no "play"--it was to be a
_bona fide_ marriage planned, no doubt, by his wife for some secret
reason best known to her and the young couple.

He did not once suspect that Edith was being tricked into an unwilling
union.

He had known that Emil Correlli was fond of her, but he had not
supposed he would care to make her his wife, although he had no doubt
the girl would gladly avail herself of such an offer. Evidently the
courtship had been secretly and successfully carried on; still, he
could not understand why they should have adopted this exceedingly
strange way to consummate their union, when there was nothing to stand
in the way of a public marriage, if they desired it.

He was bitterly wounded and chagrin