ry and take me to him at
once."

"Yes, I will put an end to the mystery," said Hugo, drawing nearer to
her, and putting out his hands as if he wished to take hers. "There is
more of a mystery than you can guess, but there shall be one no longer.
Ah, Kitty, won't you forgive me when I tell you what I have done? It was
for your sake that I have sunk to these depths--or risen to these
heights, I hardly know which to call them--for your sake, because I love
you, love you as no other woman in the world, Kitty, was ever loved
before!"

He threw himself down on his knees before her, in passionate
self-abasement, and lifted his ardent eyes pleadingly to her face.

"Kitty, forgive me," he said. "Tell me that you forgive me before I tell
you what I have done."

Kitty had turned very pale. "What have you done?" she asked. "How can I
forgive you if I do not know what to forgive? Pray get up, Hugo; I
cannot bear to see you acting in this way."

"How can I rise till I have confessed?" said Hugo, seizing one of her
hands and pressing it to his lips. "Ah, Kitty, remember that it was all
because I loved you! You will not be too hard upon me, darling? Tell me
that you love me a little, and then I shall not despair."

"But, I do not love you; I told you so before," said Kitty, trying hard
to draw away her hand. "And it is wicked of you to say these things to
me here and now. Where is my father? Take me to him at once."

"Oh, my dearest, be kind and good to me," entreated Hugo. "Can you not
guess?--then how can I tell you?--your father is well--as well as ever
he was in his life."

"Well?" cried Kitty. "Then was it a mistake? Was it some one else who
was hurt? Who sent the telegram?"

"I sent the telegram. I wanted you here."

"Then it was a trick--a hoax--a lie? How dare you, sir! And why have you
brought me here? What is this place?"

"This place, Kitty, is Netherglen."

"Netherglen!" said Kitty, in a relieved tone of voice. "Oh, it is not so
very far from home."

Then she turned sharply upon him with a flash in her eye that he had
never seen before.

"You must let me go home at once; and you will please understand, Mr.
Luttrell, that I wish to have no further intercourse with you of any
sort. After the cruel and unkind and useless trick that you have played
upon me, you must see that you have put an end to all friendship between
yourself and my family. My father will call you to account for it."

Kitty spoke strongly