ut George Vavasor, or he
would not have been so idolized by such a girl as his sister Kate.

Early in the present spring, before the arrangements for the Swiss
journey were made, George Vavasor had spoken to Alice about that
intended marriage which had been broken off by the lady's death. He
was sitting one evening with his cousin in the drawing-room in Queen
Anne Street, waiting for Kate, who was to join him there before going
to some party. I wonder whether Kate had had a hint from her brother
to be late! At any rate, the two were together for an hour, and the
talk had been all about himself. He had congratulated her on her
engagement with Mr Grey, which had just become known to him, and had
then spoken of his own last intended marriage.

"I grieved for her," he said, "greatly."

"I'm sure you did, George."

"Yes, I did;--for her, herself. Of course the world has given me
credit for lamenting the loss of her money. But the truth is, that as
regards both herself and her money, it is much better for me that we
were never married."

"Do you mean even though she should have lived?"

"Yes;--even had she lived."

"And why so? If you liked her, her money was surely no drawback."

"No; not if I had liked her."

"And did you not like her?"

"No."

"Oh, George!"

"I did not love her as a man should love his wife, if you mean that.
As for my liking her, I did like her. I liked her very much."

"But you would have loved her?"

"I don't know. I don't find that task of loving so very easy. It
might have been that I should have learned to hate her."

"If so, it is better for you, and better for her, that she has gone."

"It is better. I am sure of it. And yet I grieve for her, and in
thinking of her I almost feel as though I were guilty of her death."

"But she never suspected that you did not love her?"

"Oh no. But she was not given to think much of such things. She took
all that for granted. Poor girl! she is at rest now, and her money
has gone, where it should go, among her own relatives."

"Yes; with such feelings as yours are about her, her money would have
been a burden to you."

"I would not have taken it. I hope, at least, that I would not have
taken it. Money is a sore temptation, especially to a poor man like
me. It is well for me that the trial did not come in my way."

"But you are not such a very poor man now, are you, George? I thought
your business was a good one."

"It is, and I have no