my
carriage; I shall come."

Sir Mark frowned, but said no more; he merely glanced back as Myra now
gave up and sank in her cousin's arms, while, as Miss Jerrold went down,
her lips tightened, and she looked wonderfully like her brother, as she
said to herself:

"Thank goodness! No man ever wanted to marry me."

"Benchers' Inn," said Guest sharply as the footman closed the carriage
door, and the trio sat in silence, each forming a mental picture of that
which they were going to see.

CHAPTER SIX.

GUEST THINKS THE WORST.

"Myra! My own darling!" sobbed Edie.

"Hush! No, I must talk. If I think in silence I shall go mad."

"O Myra, Myra, are you never to be really married after all?"

The bride made a hurried motion with her hands, then pressed them to her
temples and thrust back her hair.

"It makes me think of two years ago, dear," whispered Edie, "and all the
horrors of that day."

"Yes; is it fate?" said Myra hoarsely as she sat gazing at vacancy.

"But I'll never believe that Malcolm Stratton could do wrong," whispered
Edie, caressing and trying to soothe the sufferer as she clung to her
side. "It couldn't have been that this time, or else Percy would not be
such friends."

Myra bent forward with her eyes dilated as if she were gazing at
something across the room.

"Your poor hands are so cold and damp, and your forehead burning hot. O
Myra, Myra! I did not think that two such terrible days could come in
one poor girl's life."

"Edie," said Myra in a husky whisper, "you saw Malcolm last night?"

"Yes, dear, of course."

"You did not see anything strange in his manner?"

"No; only that he was half-mad with joy, and when he kissed me and said
good-night--you remember?"

"Yes, yes."

"He said he was the happiest man alive."

"Yes; I remember the exact words."

"And he hoped that soon--"

Edie stopped with a faint flush in her cheeks.

Myra nodded quickly, but without ceasing to gaze straight away into
vacancy.

"But there was nothing strange--he was quite well--he said nothing else
to you?"

"No, dear; nothing that I can recall."

"Are you sure he dropped no hint? Nothing that could make you think he
did not wish to marry me?"

"No, no, no, dear. He was longing to call you his very own. He said
so--to me. But don't look like that, darling; you frighten me. What
are you thinking?"

Myra was silent, and her aspect was so strange that Edie shook her
excitedly.