since the day we were married. I heard him say so in the
church.--He repeated it to me afterwards.--And it was a lie! Curse"--

"No, no, forgive him!" And Agatha sobbed on her husband's neck, clasped
by him as she never thought he would clasp her in this world.

At last he rose, pale and sad. "There is other forgiveness needed. I
have been very cruel to you, Agatha. I had made him a promise, and to it
I sacrificed myself and you too, without remorse. But now you see how it
was. I could have judged my brother that I loved; I dared not _slay my
enemy._"

The only answer was a soft hand-pressure.

"I hardly know what I am about, Agatha,--not even whether or no my wife
loves me; she did not when we were first married, I fear?"

Agatha drooped her head.

"Never mind, she shall love me yet; I am quite fearless now." He stood
up, holding her tight in his arms, as if daring the whole world to wrest
her from him. His whole aspect was changed. It was like the breaking up
of an Arctic winter, when the trees bud, and the rivers pour sounding
down, and the sun bursts out, reigning gloriously. For a long time they
remained thus, clasped together, so motionless that the little robin of
the arbutus-trees hopped on to a bough near them and began a song.

"We must go in now," said Agatha.

"Ay; we must not forget Anne, or anybody. One can do so much good when
one is happy!"

"I feel so." She rose, hanging on his arm, but trembling still, almost
frightened by the insanity of his joy, whirled dizzily in the torrent of
his overwhelming love.

"You understand now what I had to say to you! You can guess how I mean
to act as regards my brother?"

"I think I can."

"And you will give your consent? Without it I would have done nothing. I
would not have taken from my wife these worldly goods, and left her only
me and my love, unless she willed it so."

"I do will it."

"God bless her." He lifted Agatha from her feet, rocking her in his
arms like a baby. "I always said God bless her! even when I was most
wretched--most mad. I knew she was one of His angels--a woman worthy of
all love, though she had none for me. I was not very cruel to her, was
I?"

"No--no."

"I will never be cruel to her any more. I will smother down all my
pride, my reserve, the horrible suspiciousness which is rooted in my
nature. I will never doubt or wound her--only love her--only love her."

Breathless, Agatha trembled to her feet again. Her husband s