that it would have to be worn with tears and used in
sorrow.

And then she sent a message to Arthur Fletcher. It so happened that
Sir Alured Wharton was up in London at this time with his daughter
Mary. Sir Alured did not come to Manchester Square. There was nothing
that the old baronet could say in the midst of all this misery,--no
comfort that he could give. It was well-known now to all the Whartons
and all the Fletchers that this Lopez, who had married her who was
to have been the pearl of the two families, had proved himself to
be a scoundrel. The two old Whartons met no doubt at some club, or
perhaps in Stone Buildings, and spoke some few bitter words to each
other; but Sir Alured did not see the unfortunate young woman who
had disgraced herself by so wretched a marriage. But Mary came, and
by her a message was sent to Arthur Fletcher. "Tell him that I am
going," said Emily. "Tell him not to come; but give him my love. He
was always one of my kindest friends."

"Why,--why,--why did you not take him?" said Mary, moved by the
excitement of the moment to suggestions which were quite at variance
with the fixed propriety of her general ideas.

"Why should you speak of that?" said the other. "I never speak of
him,--never think of him. But, if you see him, tell him what I say."
Arthur Fletcher was of course in the Square on the following day,--on
that very day on which Mr. Wharton learned that, whatever might
be his daughter's fate, she would not, at any rate, be taken to
Guatemala. They two had never met since the day on which they
had been brought together for a moment at the Duchess's party at
Richmond. It had of course been understood by both of them that they
were not to be allowed to see each other. Her husband had made a
pretext of an act of friendship on his part to establish a quarrel,
and both of them had been bound by that quarrel. When a husband
declares that his wife shall not know a man, that edict must be
obeyed,--or, if disobeyed, must be subverted by intrigue. In this
case there had been no inclination to intrigue on either side. The
order had been obeyed, and as far as the wife was concerned, had been
only a small part of the terrible punishment which had come upon her
as the result of her marriage. But now, when Arthur Fletcher sent up
his name, she did not hesitate as to seeing him. No doubt she had
thought it probable that she might see him when she gave her message
to her cousin.

"I could not