chapel, and she knew that her friend would be
alone. Her story must be told to Mrs. Fenwick, and to Mrs. Fenwick
only. It would be impossible for her to speak of her determination
before the Vicar till he should have received a first notice of it
from his wife. And there certainly must be no delay. The men were
hardly out of sight before she had resolved to go down at once. She
looked at herself in the glass, and spunged the mark of tears from
her eyes, and smoothed her hair, and then descended. She never before
had felt so much in fear of her friend; and yet it was her friend
who was mainly the cause of this mischief which surrounded her, and
who had persuaded her to evil. At Janet Fenwick's instance she had
undertaken to marry a man whom she did not love; and yet she feared
to go to Janet Fenwick with the story of her repentance. Why not
indignantly demand of her friend assistance in extricating herself
from the injury which that friend had brought upon her?

She found Mrs. Fenwick with the children in the little breakfast
parlour to which they had been banished by the coming of Lord St.
George. "Janet," she said, "come and take a turn with me in the
garden." It was now the middle of August, and life at the vicarage
was spent almost as much out of doors as within. The ladies went
about with parasols, and would carry their hats hanging in their
hands. There was no delay therefore, and the two were on the
gravel-path almost as soon as Mary's request was made. "I did not
show you my letter from Dunripple," she said, putting her hand into
her pocket; "but I might as well do so now. You will have to read
it."

She took out the document, but did not at once hand it to her
companion. "Is there anything wrong, Mary?" said Mrs. Fenwick.

"Wrong. Yes;--very, very wrong. Janet, it is no use your talking to
me. I have quite made up my mind. I cannot and I will not marry Mr.
Gilmore."

"Mary, this is insanity."

"You may say what you please, but I am determined. I cannot and I
will not. Will you help me out of my difficulty?"

"Certainly not in the way you mean;--certainly not. It cannot be
either for your good or for his. After what has passed, how on earth
could you bring yourself to make such a proposition to him?"

"I do not know; that is what I feel the most. I do not know how
I shall tell him. But he must be told. I thought that perhaps Mr.
Fenwick would do it."

"I am quite sure he will do nothing of the kind. Th