ere was a diamond ring on one finger that flashed as she
moved; presently she stretched it out to Raby, with a bewitching
smile.

"'Oh, what lovely lilies of the valley,' she exclaimed, pointing to
the flowers; 'they are the first I have seen this year. I adore
lilies, they are perfectly exquisite. Do let me have them, Mr.
Ferrers. I know they grew in the garden, and I shall keep them as a
memento of Sandycliffe and the dear Grange. Come, you must not let me
break the tenth commandment and covet any longer,' and the fair,
girlish hand rested near the flowers as she spoke.

"Raby looked embarrassed and hesitated.

"I had gathered those lilies for him before the dew was off them. They
grew in a little nook of the Redmond grounds; they were his favorite
flowers, and I had walked all those miles to hunt for them.

"'Come,' she said, 'surely you will not refuse me, Mr. Ferrers,' and
her smile was very winning; and Raby, though reluctant, laid the
little spray of lilies in her hand. He could hardly have done
otherwise, but I was too young to know that.

"'There, she has gone at last, the pretty chatterbox,' he exclaimed,
with a yawn of real or pretended weariness as the door closed upon our
visitors. 'Crystal, my child, come here: I have not heard your voice
for the last hour. Tell me what you think of Miss Vyvie; is she not a
lively young lady?'

"I made him no answer. I was past it.

"Oh, if I had only gone silently out of the room to recover myself. If
he had not spoken to me just then. He started when he saw my face.

"'Crystal, my dear child, what is the matter?' and then--then it burst
forth. Oh, my God, I must have been beside myself. Surely some demon
must have entered into my childish heart before I could have poured
forth that torrent of passionate invective and reproach.

"They had never witnessed such a scene. Margaret, sweet soul, cried
and trembled as she heard me, and Uncle Rolf grew quite pale.

"'That child,' he cried, 'Edmund's child!' and his voice was full of
horror; but Raby rose slowly from his couch, and without a word led me
from the room.

"I do not know whether I yielded to that firm touch, or whether his
strength compelled me; but, still silent, he took me up to my room and
left me there.

"Oh, the awfulness of that mute reproach, the sternness of that pale
face; it recalled me to myself sooner than any word would have done.
Almost before the door closed my passion had spent itself, a