ver! But he could not bear those sobs.

'Freda! my dear, don't, I beg, I entreat! You will make me so nervous.
You know I cannot bear--in short, I feel quite ill. The fact is, you
will make yourself ill, and after all, it need make no difference to
you. You will be just the same. Freda, I must beg you to desist. I must
insist--I will ring for the housekeeper.'

'No, no, papa. Do not let us expose ourselves!' cried Freda, rising
suddenly; 'I will go upstairs. Neither you nor I will ever be happy
again!'

Freda was about to leave the room, when Mr Gwynne suddenly went up to
her, and putting his arm round her neck, whispered, whilst the tears
sprang into his eyes,--

'Freda, Freda! my child, forgive me! I didn't think it would vex you so.
I scarcely know how it has all happened.'

Poor Freda threw both her arms around her father, and sobbed again. As
she leaned on his shoulder, his white hairs touched the brown glossy
braids of her head, and his lips kissed them. At that moment he knew
that he did not love Lady Mary Nugent as well as he loved his child,
and that child was conscious for the first time how very dear her father
was to her.

Again she roused herself, and as if ashamed of her emotion, hastened out
of the room. She went upstairs, and locking herself in her room, threw
herself on her bed. Here she gave way to feelings that were as new as
strange to her, unaccustomed as she was to what some one calls 'the
luxury of tears.' She scarcely knew whether sorrow or anger
predominated, but she was wretched and indignant. Tumultuous thoughts
rushed through her mind of the past, present, and probable future!
thoughts too numerous and changeable to be transcribed, but which may
well be imagined.

At last her pride, that one grand feature of her character, got the
better of her grief and anger. She rose from her bed, dried her eyes,
arranged her hair, and with a carriage as erect as her soul was haughty,
once more entered her father's library. The momentary emotion and pathos
of their last embrace had been overpowered in both by stronger
sensations; in him by the remembrance of Lady Mary Nugent's
fascinations, in her by the sense of that lady's tact and duplicity.

Freda sat quietly down opposite her father, and said abruptly,--

'Papa, this odious subject must be begun and ended between us this day.
If you will be good enough to answer me a few questions and to listen to
me, I will never mention it again. Are you