s not, unless he chose to
compromise her. No breath of scandal had ever touched her.

But what was Scarlett about? Could they have quarrelled? What did it
mean? _And what would she do now?_

"By George!" said Captain Pratt, again, and the agate eyes narrowed down
to two slits.

He sat a long time motionless, his untasted breakfast before him. His
mind was working, weighing, applying now its scales, now its
thermometer.

* * * * *

Rachel and Hugh were sitting together looking at a paragraph in the
_Morning Post_.

"Does Miss Gresley take any interest?" said Hugh.

He was a little jealous of Hester. This illness, the cause of which had
sincerely grieved him, had come at an inopportune moment. Hester was
always taking Rachel from him.

"Yes," said Rachel, "a little when she remembers. But she can only think
of one thing."

"That unhappy book."

"Yes. I think the book was to Hester something of what you are to me.
Her whole heart was wrapped up in it--and she has lost it. Hugh,
whatever happens, you must not be lost now. It is too late. I could not
bear it."

"I can only be lost if you throw me away," said Hugh.

There was a long silence.

"Lady Newhaven will know to-day," said Rachel at last. "I tried to break
it to her, but she did not believe me."

"Rachel," said Hugh, stammering, "I meant to tell you the other day,
only we were interrupted, that _she_ came to my rooms the evening before
I came down here. I should not have minded quite so much, but Captain
Pratt came in with me and--found her there."

"Oh Hugh, that dreadful man! Poor woman!"

"Poor woman!" said Hugh, his eyes flashing. "It was poor you I thought
of. Poor Rachel! to be marrying a man who--"

There was another silence.

"I have one great compensation," said Rachel, laying her cool, strong
hand on his. "You are open with me. You keep nothing back. You need not
have mentioned this unlucky meeting, but you did. It was like you. I
trust you entirely, Hugh. I bless and thank you for loving me. If my
love can make you happy, oh Hughie, you will be happy."

Hugh shrank from her. The faltered words were as a two-edged sword.

She looked at the sensitive, paling face with tender comprehension. The
mother-look crept into her eyes.

"If there is anything else that you wish to tell me, tell me now."

A wild, overwhelming impulse to fling himself over the precipice out of
the reach of those stabbing words!