that scorn had procured Mrs. Roby's pardon.
She was now making a morning call, and suiting her conversation to
the black dress of her niece. Arthur was horrified at seeing her.
Mrs. Roby had always been to him odious, not only as a personal enemy
but as a vulgar woman. He, at any rate, attributed to her a great
part of the evil that had been done, feeling sure that had there been
no house round the corner, Emily Wharton would never have become Mrs.
Lopez. As it was he was forced to shake hands with her, and forced to
listen to the funereal tone in which Mrs. Roby asked him if he did
not think that Mrs. Lopez looked much improved by her sojourn in
Herefordshire. He shrank at the sound, and then, in order that it
might not be repeated, took occasion to show that he was allowed to
call his early playmate by her Christian name. Mrs. Roby, thinking
that she ought to check him, remarked that Mrs. Lopez's return was
a great thing for Mr. Wharton. Thereupon Arthur Fletcher seized his
hat off the ground, wished them both good-bye, and hurried out of
the room. "What a very odd manner he has taken up since he became a
member of Parliament," said Mrs. Roby.

Emily was silent for a moment, and then with an effort,--with intense
pain,--she said a word or two which she thought had better be at once
spoken. "He went because he does not like to hear that name."

"Good gracious!"

"And papa does not like it. Don't say a word about it, aunt; pray
don't;--but call me Emily."

"Are you going to be ashamed of your name?"

"Never mind, aunt. If you think it wrong you must stay away;--but I
will not have papa wounded."

"Oh;--if Mr. Wharton wishes it;--of course." That evening Mrs. Roby
told Dick Roby, her husband, what an old fool Mr. Wharton was.

The next day, quite early, Fletcher was again at the house and was
again admitted upstairs. The butler, no doubt, knew well enough why
he came, and also knew that the purport of his coming had at any rate
the sanction of Mr. Wharton. The room was empty when he was shown
into it, but she came to him very soon. "I went away yesterday rather
abruptly," he said. "I hope you did not think me rude."

"Oh no."

"Your aunt was here, and I had something I wished to say but could
not say very well before her."

"I knew that she had driven you away. You and Aunt Harriet were never
great friends."

"Never;--but I will forgive her everything. I will forgive all the
injuries that have been done m