the evening post, had probably been
opened by Martin, and for that reason only I took it up and glanced at
it.

The first thing that caught my eye was a short report headed "Charity
Performance."

It ran:

_"The English ladies and gentlemen from Castle Raa who are cruising
round the island in the handsome steam yacht, the_ Cleopatra, _gave a
variety entertainment last night in aid of the Catholic Mission at the
Palace, Ravenstown.

"At the end of the performance the Lord Bishop, who was present in
person and watched every item of the programme with obvious enjoyment,
proposed a vote of thanks in his usual felicitous terms, thanking Lord
Raa for this further proof of his great liberality of mind in helping a
Catholic charity, and particularly mentioning the beautiful and
accomplished Madame Lier, who had charmed all eyes and won all hearts by
her serpentine dances, and to whom the Church in Ellan would always be
indebted for the handsome sum which had been the result of her
disinterested efforts in promoting the entertainment.

"It is understood that the_ Cleopatra _will leave Ravenstown Harbour
to-morrow morning on her way back to Port Raa."_

That was the end of everything. It came upon me like a torrent and swept
all my scruples away.

Such was the purity of the Church--threatening _me_ with its censures
for wishing to follow the purest dictates of my heart, yet taking money
from a woman like Alma, who was bribing it to be blind to her misconduct
and to cover her with its good-will!

My husband too--his infidelities were flagrant and notorious, yet the
Church, through its minister, was flattering his vanity and condoning
his offences!

He was coming back to me, too--this adulterous husband, and when he came
the Church would require that I should keep "true faith" with him,
whatever his conduct, and deny myself the pure love that was now awake
within me.

But no, no, no! Never again! It would be a living death. Accursed be the
power that could doom a woman to a living death!

Perhaps I was no longer sane--morally sane--and if so God and the Church
will forgive me. But seeing that neither the Church nor the Law could
liberate me from this bond which I did not make, that both were
shielding the evil man and tolerating the bad woman, my whole soul rose
in revolt.

I told myself now that to leave my husband and go to Martin would be to
escape from shame to honour.

I saw Martin's despairing face again a