er!--But will you not feel the want of
pocket-money when you come to pay a rough cabman? The check I gave you
yesterday will not last you long."

"The money is my own, Mr. Redmain."

"But you have not yet opened a banking-account in your own name."

"I suppose you have a meaning, Mr. Redmain; but I am not in the habit
of using cabs."

"Then you had better get into the habit; for I swear to you, madam, if
you don't fetch that girl home within the week, I will, next Monday,
discharge your coachman, and send every horse in the stable to
Tattersall's! Good morning."

She had no doubt he would do as he said; she knew Mr. Redmain would
just enjoy selling her horses. But she could not at once give in. I say
"_could_ not," because hers was the weak will that can hardly bring
itself to do what it knows it must, and is continually mistaken for the
strong will that defies and endures. She had a week to think about it,
and she would see!

During the interval, he took care not once to refer to his threat, for
that would but weaken the impression of it, he knew.

On the Sunday, after service, she knocked at his door, and, being
admitted, bade him good morning, but with no very gracious air--as,
indeed, he would have been the last to expect.

"We have had a sermon on the forgiveness of injuries, Mr. Redmain," she
said.

"By Jove!" interrupted her husband, "it would have been more to the
purpose if I, or poor Mary Marston, had had it; for I swear you put our
souls in peril!"

"The ring was no common one, Mr. Redmain; and the young woman had, by
leaving the house, placed herself in a false position: every one
suspected her as much as I did. Besides, she lost her temper, and
talked about forgiving _me_, when I was in despair about my ring!"

"And what, pray, was your foolish ring compared to the girl's
character?"

"A foolish ring, indeed!--Yes, it was foolish to let you ever have the
right to give it me! But, as to her character, that of persons in her
position is in constant peril. They have to lay their account with
that, and must get used to it. How was I to know? We can not read each
other's hearts."

"Not where there is no heart in the reader."

Hesper's face flushed, but she did her best not to lose her temper. Not
that it would have been any great loss if she had, for there is as much
difference in the values of tempers as in those who lose them. She said
nothing, and her husband resumed:

"So you came to for