would never forgive me,
nor acknowledge my wife."

"Then why do you speak at all of marrying Nora?" interrupted Hannah
angrily.

Herman turned and looked at Nora. That mute look was his only answer,
and it was eloquent; it said plainly what his lips forbore to speak: "I
have won her love, and I ought to marry her; for if I do not, she will
die."

Then he continued as if Hannah had not interrupted him:

"I wish to get on as easily as I can between these conflicting
difficulties. I will not wrong Nora, and I will not grieve my mother.
The only way to avoid doing either will be for me to marry my darling
privately, and keep the affair a secret until a fitting opportunity
offers to publish it."

"A secret marriage! Mr. Brudenell! is that what you propose to my
sister?"

"Why not, Hannah?"

"Secret marriages are terrible things!"

"Disappointed affections, broken hearts, early graves, are more
terrible."

"Fudge!" was the word that rose to Hannah's lips, as she looked at the
young man; but when she turned to her sister she felt that his words
might be true.

"Besides, Hannah," he continued, "this will not be a secret marriage.
You cannot call that a secret which will be known to four persons--the
parson, you, Nora, and myself. I shall not even bind you or Nora to keep
the secret longer than you think it her interest to declare it. She
shall have the marriage certificate in her own keeping, and every legal
protection and defense; so that even if I should die suddenly--"

Nora gasped for breath.

--"she would be able to claim and establish her rights and position in
the world. Hannah, you must see that I mean to act honestly and
honorably," said the young man, in an earnest tone.

"I see that you do; but, Mr. Brudenell, it appears to me that the fatal
weakness of which you have already spoken to me--the 'propensity to
please'--is again leading you into error. You wish to save Nora, and you
wish to spare your mother; and to do both these things, you are
sacrificing--"

"What, Hannah?"

"Well--fair, plain, open, straight-forward, upright dealing, such as
should always exist between man and woman."

"Hannah, you are unjust to me! Am I not fair, plain, open,
straight-forward, upright, and all the rest of it in my dealing with
you?"

"With us, yes; but--"

"With my mother it is necessary to be cautious. It is true that she has
no right to oppose my marriage with Nora; but yet she would oppose it,
even to