y tones and her pleasant smile.

"Indeed I do thank you," he replied. "Your beautiful house and your
gracious welcome have persuaded me into forgetting my troubles--for a
while."

The smile passed away from her face. "Then it is true," she said
gravely.

"Only too true."

She led him to a seat beside her, and waited to speak again until her
maid had brought in the tea.

"Have you read my letter in the same friendly spirit in which I wrote
it?" she asked, when they were alone again.

"I have read your letter gratefully, but--"

"But you don't know yet what I have to say. Let us understand each other
before we make any objections on either side. Will you tell me what your
present position is--at its worst? I can and will speak plainly when
my turn comes, if you will honor me with your confidence. Not if it
distresses you," she added, observing him attentively.

He was ashamed of his hesitation--and he made amends for it.

"Do you thoroughly understand me?" he asked, when the whole truth had
been laid before her without reserve.

She summed up the result in her own words.

"If your overdue ship returns safely, within a month from this time, you
can borrow the money you want, without difficulty. If the ship is lost,
you have no alternative (when the end of the month comes) but to accept
a loan from me or to suspend payment. Is that the hard truth?"

"It is."

"And the sum you require is--twenty thousand pounds?"

"Yes."

"I have twenty times as much money as that, Mr. Lismore, at my sole
disposal--on one condition."

"The condition alluded to in your letter?"

"Yes."

"Does the fulfillment of the condition depend in some way on any
decision of mine?"

"It depends entirely on you."

That answer closed his lips.

With a composed manner and a steady hand she poured herself out a cup of
tea.

"I conceal it from you," she said; "but I want confidence. Here" (she
pointed to the cup) "is the friend of women, rich or poor, when they
are in trouble. What I have now to say obliges me to speak in praise of
myself. I don't like it--let me get it over as soon as I can. My
husband was very fond of me: he had the most absolute confidence in
my discretion, and in my sense of duty to him and to myself. His
last words, before he died, were words that thanked me for making the
happiness of his life. As soon as I had in some degree recovered, after
the affliction that had fallen on me, his lawyer and executor pro