as pitilessly as
his father before him. Noel Vanstone's silence was eloquent of the
confession which he was ashamed to make. His doting weakness had, beyond
all doubt, placed his whole property at the feet of his wife. And thi s
girl, whose vindictive daring had defied all restraints--this girl,
who had not shrunk from her desperate determination even at the church
door--had, in the very hour of her triumph, taken part only from the man
who would willingly have given all!--had rigorously exacted her father's
fortune from him to the last farthing; and had then turned her back
on the hand that was tempting her with tens of thousands more! For the
moment, Mrs. Lecount was fairly silenced by her own surprise; Magdalen
had forced the astonishment from her which is akin to admiration,
the astonishment which her enmity would fain have refused. She hated
Magdalen with a tenfold hatred from that time.

"I have no doubt, sir," she resumed, after a momentary silence, "that
Mrs. Noel gave you excellent reasons why the provision for her at your
death should be no more, and no less, than eighty thousand pounds. And,
on the other hand, I am equally sure that you, in your innocence of all
suspicion, found those reasons conclusive at the time. That time has now
gone by. Your eyes are opened, sir; and you will not fail to remark (as
I remark) that the Combe-Raven property happens to reach the same sum
exactly, as the legacy which your wife's own instructions directed you
to leave her. If you are still in any doubt of the motive for which she
married you, look in your own will--and there the motive is!"

He raised his head from his hands, and became closely attentive to what
she was saying to him, for the first time since they had faced each
other at the table. The Combe-Raven property had never been classed
by itself in his estimation. It had come to him merged in his father's
other possessions, at his father's death. The discovery which had now
opened before him was one to which his ordinary habits of thought, as
well as his innocence of suspicion, had hitherto closed his eyes. He
said nothing; but he looked less sullenly at Mrs. Lecount. His manner
was more ingratiating; the high tide of his courage was already on the
ebb.

"Your position, sir, must be as plain by this time to you as it is to
me," said Mrs. Lecount. "There is only one obstacle now left between
this woman and the attainment of her end. _That obstacle is your life._
A