--and near him was Lady Kingswood, terrified yet enthralled by
the scene, and anxious on behalf of Morgana, who looked statuesque and
pensive like a small attendant angel close to Don Aloysius. He, in his
priestly robes, read the marriage service with soft and impressive
intonation, himself speaking the responses for the bride-groom,--and
taking Manella's hand he placed it on Seaton's, clasping the two
together, the one so yielding and warm, the other stiff as marble, and
setting the golden marriage ring which Morgana had given, on the
bride's finger. As he made the sign of the cross and uttered the final
blessing, Manella sank on her knees and covered her face. There
followed a tense silence--Aloysius laid his hand on her bent head--

"God help and bless you!" he said, solemnly--"Only the Divine Power can
give you strength to bear the burden you have taken on yourself!"

But at his words she sprang up, her eyes glowing with a great joy.

"It is no burden!" she said--"I have prayed to be his slave--and now I
am his wife! That is more than I ever dared to dream of!--for now I
have the right to care for him, to work for him, and no one can
separate me from him! What happiness for me! But I will not take a mean
advantage of this--ah, no!--no good, Father! Listen!--I swear before
you and the holy Cross you wear, that if he recovers he shall never
know!--I will leave him at once without a word--he shall think I am a
servant in his employ--or rather he shall not think at all about me for
I will go where he can never find me, and he will be as free as ever he
was! Yes, truly!--by the blessed Madonna I swear it! I will kill myself
rather than let him know!"

She looked regally beautiful, her face flushed with the pride and love
of her soul,--and in her newly gained privilege as a wife she bent down
and kissed the pallid face that lay like the face of a corpse on the
pillow before her.

"He is a poor wounded child just now!" she murmured, tenderly--"But I
will care for him in his weakness and sorrow! The doctor will tell me
what to do--and it shall all be done! I will neglect nothing--as for
money, I have none--but I will work--"

Morgana put an arm about her.

"Dear, do not think of that!" she said--"For the present you will stay
here--I am going on a journey very soon, and you and Lady Kingswood
will take care of my house till I return. Be quite satisfied!--You will
have all you want for him and for yourself. Professor