or send one word to tell him how I am.
There! My hand is on the Bible, and I swear to you that if I am ever
the wife of any man, I will be his wife."

He looked down at her and saw that she was wan and thin and weak, and
he did not dare to preach to her the old family sermon as to his rank
and station. "But, Anna, why do you tell me this now?" he said.

"That you may believe it and not trouble yourself with me any more.
You must believe it when I tell you so in this manner. I may perhaps
never live to rise from my bed. If I get well, I shall send to him,
or go. I will not be hindered. He is true to me, and I will be true
to him. You may tell mamma if you think proper. She would not believe
me, but perhaps she may believe you. But, Lord Lovel, it is not fit
that he should have all this money. He does not want it, and he would
not take it. Till I am married I may do what I please with it;--and
it shall be yours."

"That cannot be."

"Yes, it can. I know that I can make it yours if I please. They tell
me that--that you are not rich, as Lord Lovel should be, because all
this has been taken from you. That was the reason why you came to
me."

"By heaven, Anna, I love you most truly."

"It could not have been so when you had not seen me. Will you take a
message from me to Daniel Thwaite?"

He thought awhile before he answered it. "No, I cannot do that."

"Then I must find another messenger. Mr. Goffe will do it perhaps. He
shall tell me how much he wants to keep, and the rest shall be yours.
That is all. If you tell mamma, ask her not to be hard to me." He
stood over her and took her hand, but knew not how to speak a word
to her. He attempted to kiss her hand; but she raised herself on her
elbow, and shook her head and drew it from him. "It belongs to Daniel
Thwaite," she said. Then he left her and did not speak another word.

"What has she said?" asked the Countess, with an attempt at smiling.

"I do not know that I should tell you."

"Surely, Lovel, you are bound to tell me."

"She has offered me all her property,--or most of it."

"She is right," said the Countess.

"But she has sworn to me, on the Bible, that she will never be my
wife."

"Tush!--it means nothing."

"Ah yes;--it means much. It means all. She never loved me,--not for
an instant. That other man has been before me, and she is too firm to
be moved."

"Did she say so?"

He was silent for a moment and then replied, "Yes; she did say so."