"He was industrious. His ideas about money were
not the same as yours or papa's. How was he worse than others? It
happened that his faults were distasteful to you--and so, perhaps,
were his virtues."

"His faults, such as they were, brought all these miseries."

"He would have been successful now if he had never seen me. But why
should we talk of it? We shall never agree. And you, Everett, can
never understand all that has passed through my mind during the last
two years."

There were two or three persons who attempted to see her at this
period, but she avoided them all. First came Mrs. Roby, who, as her
nearest neighbour, as her aunt, and as an aunt who had been so nearly
allied to her, had almost a right to demand admittance. But she would
not see Mrs. Roby. She sent down word to say that she was too ill.
And when Mrs. Roby wrote to her, she got her father to answer the
notes. "You had better let it drop," the old man said at last to his
sister-in-law. "Of course she remembers that it was you who brought
them together."

"But I didn't bring them together, Mr. Wharton. How often am I to
tell you so? It was Everett who brought Mr. Lopez here."

"The marriage was made up in your house, and it has destroyed me and
my child. I will not quarrel with my wife's sister if I can help
it, but at present you had better keep apart." Then he had left her
abruptly, and Mrs. Roby had not dared either to write or to call
again.

At this time Arthur Fletcher saw both Everett and Mr. Wharton
frequently, but he did not go to the Square, contenting himself with
asking whether he might be allowed to do so. "Not yet, Arthur," said
the old man. "I am sure she thinks of you as one of her best friends,
but she could not see you yet."

"She would have nothing to fear," said Arthur. "We knew each other
when we were children, and I should be now only as I was then."

"Not yet, Arthur;--not yet," said the barrister.

Then there came a letter, or rather two letters, from Mary
Wharton;--one to Mr. Wharton and the other to Emily. To tell the
truth as to these letters, they contained the combined wisdom and
tenderness of Wharton Hall and Longbarns. As soon as the fate of
Lopez had been ascertained and thoroughly discussed in Herefordshire,
there went forth an edict that Emily had suffered punishment
sufficient and was to be forgiven. Old Mrs. Fletcher did not come
to this at once,--having some deep-seated feeling which she did
not dare to