n dying of misery and despair. I do not know the cause of
all this, but I do know that Malcolm Stratton, who has always been as a
brother to me, loves you with all his heart."

"Yes--yes," whispered Myra excitedly.

"And that some terrible event--some sudden blow, caused him to act as he
did on his wedding morning. Myra Jerrold," he continued solemnly,
"knowing Malcolm as I do, I feel that he must have held back for your
sake, taking all the burden of his shame upon him so that you should not
suffer."

"Yes," she said in her low, excited whisper; "that is what I have been
feeling all these weary, weary days. It is that thought which has
sustained me, and made me ready to sacrifice so much--pride, position,
the opinion of my friends--in coming here like this."

"Your cousin is here," said Guest quickly. "We shall not leave."

"No, you will not leave me," she said, holding his arm with both her
hands.

"Now, be firm," whispered Guest, "and think of why you have come."

"To forgive him," she said slowly.

"I believe there is nothing to forgive," said Guest warmly. "No: you
come as his good angel to ask him by his love for you to be open and
frank, and tell you why he has acted thus. He will not speak to me, his
oldest friend: he cannot refuse you. But mind," he continued earnestly,
"it must not be told you under the bond of secrecy; he must tell you
truly, and leave it to us afterward to decide what is best to be done."

"Yes," she said, speaking more firmly now, "I understand. I have come
to help the man who was to have been my husband, in his sore time of
trial. The feeling of shame, degradation, and shrinking has passed
away. Percy Guest, I am strong now, and I know. It is no shameless
stooping on my part: I ought to have come to him before."

"God bless you for that, Myra!" he whispered earnestly, and he bent down
and kissed her hands. As he raised his head he found that Edie had
crept forward, and was looking at him wildly from out of her little
fur-edged hood.

For the moment Guest thought nothing of all this, but at a sign from
Myra drew open the outer door, and she stood in the dimly lit entry as
if framed; she let her hood fall back, and gazed straight before her
into the quaintly furnished room as if wondering that she did not at
once see the object of her thoughts.

Then they saw her take a couple steps forward, and, as if from habit,
thrust to the inner door, shutting in the scene beyo