ly a year before was a sad piteous sight. Mrs. Houghton seemed
broken-hearted at leaving her, thinking there was little chance of her
living; but Mr. Houghton, who, I am afraid, was a professed gambler,
had got into some scrape, and was gone to Paris, where she had to
follow him. She told me all about it, and how, when Captain Egremont
fancied that a marriage in the Channel Islands was one he could play
fast and loose with, she had taken care that the formalities should be
such as to make all secure. Foolish and wrong as poor Alice had been,
she had awakened all the best side of that poor woman's nature, and no
mother could have been more careful and tender. She gave me the
certificate--here it is--and assured me that it would hold good. I
have shown it to a lawyer, and he said the same; but when I sent a copy
to Mr. Egremont, my letter was returned unopened.'

'Captain Egremont had denied the marriage, and they believed him,' said
Lady Kirkaldy. 'It is hard to believe that he could be so heartless,
but he was in bondage to the old General Egremont, and dreaded losing
his inheritance.'

'So he told them in his one visit to Dieppe. He said he must keep his
marriage secret, but promised an allowance, on condition that Alice
would live quietly at Dieppe, and not communicate with any one of her
own family or his. He had left L100 with her, but that was nearly
gone, and she had never heard from him. It had preyed on her, and she
was so ill that I never expected, any more than Mrs. Houghton, to see
her recover. I stayed there with her; she could not be moved, even if
she would have consented, when she was continually expecting him; but
at last--four days after her little girl was born--came the news of the
Ninon having been burnt, with all on board, three months before. Do
you know, strange to say, though I had feared so much to tell her, she
began to revive from that time. The suspense and watching were over.
She saw that he had not deserted her, and believed that he had loved
her to the last. She cried a great deal, but it was in a peaceful,
natural way. I wrote then, as I had already written, to Lady Adelaide
and to Mr. Egremont, but was not answered.'

'I can account for that,' said Lady Kirkaldy. 'My sister had been
ordered to Madeira in the autumn, and there they remained till her
death in May. All the letters were sent to my mother, and she did not
think fit to forward, or open, any bearing on the sub