Yet in what am I worse than my fellows? Are you of those who
think a husband should come to them as one whose youth has been the
youth of cloistered nun? Heaven knows, I am not one to draw parallels
'twixt myself and any other, yet you compel me. Whilst you deny me, you
receive this fellow Blake--a London night-scourer, a broken gamester
who has given his creditors leg-bail, and who woos you that with your
fortune he may close the doors of the debtor's gaol that's open to
receive him."

"This is unworthy in you," she exclaimed, her tone indignant--so
indignant that he experienced his first pang of jealousy.

"It would be were I his rival," he answered quietly. "But I am not. I
have saved you from becoming the prey of such as he by forcing you to
marry me."

"That I may become the prey of such as you, instead," was her retort.

He looked at her a moment, smiling sadly. Then, with pardonable
self-esteem when we think of what manner of man it was with whom he now
compared himself, "Surely," said he, "it is better to become the prey of
the lion than the jackal."

"To the victim it can matter little," she answered, and he saw the tears
gathering in her eyes.

Compassion moved him. It rose in arms to batter down his will, and in a
weaker man had triumphed. Mr. Wilding bent his knee and went down beside
her.

"I swear," he said impassionedly, "that as my wife you shall never count
yourself a victim. You shall be honoured by all men, but by none more
deeply than by him who will ever strive to be worthy of the proud title
of your husband." He took her hand and kissed it reverentially. He rose
and looked at her. "To-morrow," he said, and bowing low before her went
his way, leaving her with emotions that found their vent in tears, but
defied her maiden mind to understand them.

The morrow came her wedding-day--a sunny day of early June, and
Ruth--assisted by Diana and Lady Horton--made preparation for her
marriage as spirited women have made preparation for the scaffold,
determined to show the world a brave, serene exterior. The sacrifice was
necessary for Richard's sake. That was a thing long since determined.
Yet it would have been some comfort to her to have had Richard at her
side; it would have lent her strength to have had his kiss of thanks
for the holocaust which for him she was making of all that a woman holds
most dear and sacred. But Richard was away--he had been absent since
yesterday, and none could tell her