nd Edith marveled to see how pale and
worn she looked--how she had appeared to age during the last day or
two.

"I am so glad that you have decided to see me, Edith," she remarked,
in a fondly confidential tone, as she drew a chair to the girl's side
and sat down. "My brother is nearly distracted with grief and remorse
over what has happened, and the attitude which you have assumed toward
him. He adores you--he will be your slave if you only take the right
way to win him. Surely, you will forgive him for the deception which
his great affection led him to practice upon you," she concluded, with
a coaxing smile, such as she would have assumed in dealing with a
fractious child.

"No," said Edith, with quiet decision, "I shall never forgive either
of you for your sin against me--it is beyond pardon."

"Ah! I will not intercede for myself--but think how Emil loves you,"
pleaded her companion.

"You should have said, 'think how he loves himself,' madam," Edith
rejoined, with a scornful curl of her lips, "for nothing but the
rankest selfishness could ever have led a person to commit an act of
such duplicity and sacrilege as that which he and you adopted to
secure your own ends. He does not desire to be pardoned. His only
desire is that I should relent and yield to him--which I never shall
do."

As she uttered these last words, she emphasized them with a decided
little gesture of her left hand that betrayed a relentless purpose.

"Ah!" she cried, the next moment, with a start, the movement having
attracted her eye to the ring upon her third finger, which until that
moment she had entirely forgotten.

With a shiver of repulsion, she snatched it off and tossed it into the
lap of her companion.

"Take it back to him," she said. "I had forgotten I had it on; I
despise myself for having worn it even until now."

Madam flushed angrily at her act and words.

"You are very hard--you are very obdurate," she said, sharply.

"Very well; you can put whatever construction you choose upon the
stand I have taken, but do not for a moment deceive yourself by
imagining that I will ever consent to be known as Emil Correlli's
wife; death would be preferable!" Edith calmly responded.

"Most girls would only be too eager and proud to assume the
position--they would be sincerely grateful for the luxuries and
pleasures they would enjoy as my brother's wife," Mrs. Goddard coldly
remarked, but with an angry gleam in her eyes.

A little