nted themselves
before her mental vision, expanded till they filled the heavens with
their bulk, and then shrank and shrank, and vanished into nothing. The
word "wife" struck upon her ears, and seemed to go wailing away,
"wife, wife, wife," through all the illimitable halls of sound, till
they were filled with echoes, and sound itself fell dead against the
silence of the stars.

It was done. She awoke to find herself a married woman. Lady Bellamy
stepped forward with the same half-triumphant smile with which she had
greeted Angela hovering about her lips.

"Let me congratulate you, _Mrs._ Caresfoot," she said; "indeed, I
think I am privileged to do so, for, if I remember right, I was the
first to prophesy this happy event;" and then, dropping her voice so
that Angela alone could hear her, "Do you not remember that I told you
that you would as certainly come to the altar rails within nine months
with George Caresfoot as you would to your death-bed? I said that nine
months ago to-day."

Angela started as though she had been stung.

"Events have been too strong for me," she murmured; "but all this is
nothing but a form, a form that can now be forgotten."

Again Lady Bellamy smiled as she answered,

"Oh, of course, Mrs. Caresfoot, nothing but a form."

Angela's eye fell upon the ring on her finger. She tore it off.

"Take this back," she said, "I have done with it."

"A married woman must wear a ring, Mrs. Caresfoot."

She hurled it upon the floor.

Just then George and Philip returned from a little back-room where
they had been with the registrar, who still remained behind, to sign
the certificate. George advanced upon his wife with a dreadful smile
on his features, removing the respirator as he came. His object was to
kiss her, but she divined it and caught her father by the arm.

"Father," she said, "protect me from this man."

"Protect you, Angela; why, he is your husband!"

"My husband! Have you all agreed to drive me mad?"

Lady Bellamy saw that if something were not done quickly, there would
be a shocking scene, which was the last thing she wanted, so she
seized George and whispered in his ear, after which he followed her
sulkily, turning round from time to time to look at Angela.

On her way from Roxham, Lady Bellamy stopped her carriage at the
telegraph office and went in and wrote a telegram.

"I respect that woman, and she shall have her chance," she said, as
she re-read it previous to ha