on after her
passion, and she gave up open resistance as hopeless.

Falcon renewed his visits, and was received with the mere sullen languor
of a woman who has given in.

The banns were cried a third time.

Then the patient Rosa bought laudanum enough to reunite her to her
Christopher, in spite of them all; and having provided herself with this
resource, became more cheerful, and even kind and caressing.

She declined to name the day at present, and that was awkward.
Nevertheless the conspirators felt sure they should tire her out into
doing that, before long; for they saw their way clear, and she was
perplexed in the extreme.

In her perplexity, she used to talk to a certain beautiful star she
called her Christopher. She loved to fancy he was now an inhabitant of
that bright star; and often on a clear night she would look up, and beg
for guidance from this star. This I consider foolish: but then I am old
and sceptical; she was still young and innocent, and sorely puzzled to
know her husband's real will.

I don't suppose the star had anything to do with it, except as a
focus of her thoughts; but one fine night, after a long inspection
of Christopher's star, she dreamed a dream. She thought that a lovely
wedding-dress hung over a chair, that a crown of diamonds as large
as almonds sparkled ready for her on the dressing-table, and she was
undoing her black gown, and about to take it off, when suddenly the
diamonds began to pale, and the white satin dress to melt away, and
in its place there rose a pale face and a long beard, and Christopher
Staines stood before her, and said quietly, "Is this how you keep
your vow?" Then he sank slowly, and the white dress was black, and the
diamonds were jet; and she awoke, with his gentle words of remonstrance
and his very tones ringing in her ear.

This dream, co-operating with her previous agitation and misgivings,
shook her very much; she did not come down-stairs till near dinner-time;
and both her father and Falcon, who came as a matter of course to spend
his Sunday, were struck with her appearance. She was pale, gloomy,
morose, and had an air of desperation about her.

Falcon would not see it; he knew that it is safest to let her sex alone
when they look like that; and then the storm sometimes subsides of
itself.

After dinner, Rosa retired early; and soon she was heard walking rapidly
up and down the dressing-room.

This was quite unusual, and made a noise.

Papa Lu