he is. Such wedlock as
his cannot be without flaw, and might be made invalid by law; but,
wife, there is no getting over this, that the child took her vows
in the name of God, and I dare not act as though such vows were
unspoken. Her youth and ignorance may plead in part for her. She
scarce knew the solemnity of the step she was taking. Culverhouse
won upon her and over persuaded her, I do not doubt. I do not seek
to excuse her. I am grievously displeased and disappointed. But I
cannot and I will not give her to Sir Robert; Cecilia must be his
wife."

"Then Kate must be sent away," said Lady Frances, gravely and
severely; "I cannot and will not have her here, mixing as before
with her sisters with this cloud hanging upon her, with this secret
still shadowing her life. She has proved unworthy of our
confidence. I am more pained and displeased than I can say. She
must go. She must not be able to tell Cecilia that she might have
been Lady Fortescue but for her marriage with Culverhouse. She is
no longer to be trusted. She must go forth from home as a
punishment for her wrongdoing. I feel that I cannot bear to see her
about the house, knowing how she has deceived us. She shall go
forth this very day."

Sir Richard stood considering. He too was deeply displeased with
his daughter, though he had some sympathy with the ardent and
impulsive lovers, who had got themselves into a queer plight, and
had thrown much perplexity upon others. But he decidedly agreed
with his wife that it would be better for Kate to go--and to go in
disgrace, that she might feel herself punished by being severed
from her sisters when the first wedding of the family was taking
place (save her own woodland nuptials). And it would doubtless save
some natural embarrassment to Sir Robert himself to have one of the
sisters out of the way before he formally espoused the other;
though, to be sure, such a proposition as his had been was a common
enough thing in those days.

"It would be good to send her away; but whither can she go?"

"Where better than to Lady Humbert and Mistress Dowsabel, who have
ofttimes asked us to send a daughter to enliven their dull
solitude? We have ever excused them on account of their youth and
high spirits, fearing they would be moped to death in that dismal
place; but it will be the very house for our wayward Kate to go to
repent of her ill deeds. If you will write a letter to them, we
will send it forthwith by a mounted me