in this tragedy he really knew little. Social gossip had its guesses
at the truth, often not very remote, and he was familiar with these,
believing little or much as it suited him.

It is not surprising that Edith's father, on seeing the letter of Lloyd
Freeling, echoed his daughter's words, "Better so!"

Not a tear was shed on the grave of Mrs. Dinneford. Husband and daughter
saw her body carried forth and buried out of sight with a feeling of
rejection and a sense of relief. Death had no power to soften their
hearts toward her. Charity had no mantle broad enough to cover her
wickedness; filial love was dead, and the good heart of her husband
turned away at remembrance with a shudder of horror.

Yes, it was "better so!" They had no grief, but thankfulness, that she
was dead.

On the morning after the funeral there came a letter from Havana
addressed to Mr. Dinneford. It was from the man Freeling. In it he
related circumstantially all the reader knows about the conspiracy to
destroy Granger. The letter enclosed an affidavit made by Freeling, and
duly attested by the American consul, in which he stated explicitly
that all the forgeries were made by himself, and that George Granger was
entirely ignorant of the character of the paper he had endorsed with the
name of the firm.

Since the revelation made to Edith by Freeling's letter to her mother,
all the repressed love of years, never dead nor diminished, but only
chained, held down, covered over, shook itself free from bonds and the
wrecks and debris of crushed hopes. It filled her heart with an agony
of fullness. Her first passionate impulse was to go to him and throw
herself into his arms. But a chilling thought came with the impulse, and
sent all the outgoing heart-beats back. She was no longer the wife of
George Granger. In a weak hour she had yielded to the importunities of
her father, and consented to an application for divorce. No, she was no
longer the wife of George Granger. She had no right to go to him. If it
were true that reason had been in part or wholly restored, would he not
reject her with scorn? The very thought made her heart stand still. It
would be more than she could bear.

CHAPTER XXIV.

_NO_ other result than the one that followed could have been hoped for.
The strain upon Edith was too great. After the funeral of her
mother mind and body gave way, and she passed several weeks in a
half-unconscious state.

Two women, leading act