is, in one moment her head would have been on his
shoulder and his arm round her waist; and in twenty minutes more Miss
Baker would have been informed, sitting as she now was up in her
bedroom, that the wedding-day had been fixed.

But very different news Miss Baker had to hear. Had things turned out
so, Miss Waddington would have been a woman and not a goddess. No;
great as was the coming penalty, she could not do that. She had been
railed at and scolded as never goddess was scolded before. Whatever
she threw away, it behoved her to maintain her dignity. She would not
bend to a storm that had come blustering over her so uncourteously.

Bertram had now risen to go. "It would be useless for me to trouble
your aunt," he said. "Tell her from me that I would not have gone
without seeing her had I not wished to spare her pain. Good-bye,
Caroline, and may God bless you;" and, so saying, he put out his hand
to her.

"Good-bye, Mr. Bertram." She would have said something more, but she
feared to trust herself with any word that might have any sound of
tenderness. She took his hand, however, and returned the pressure
which he gave it.

She looked into his eyes, and saw that they were full of tears;
but still she did not speak. Oh, Caroline Waddington, Caroline
Waddington! if it had but been given thee to know, even then, how
much of womanhood there was in thy bosom, of warm womanhood, how
little of goddess-ship, of cold goddess-ship, it might still have
been well with thee! But thou didst not know. Thou hadst gotten there
at any rate thy Juno's pedestal; and having that, needs was that thou
shouldst stand on it.

"God bless you, Caroline; good-bye," he repeated again, and turned to
the door.

"I wish to ask you one question before you go," she said, as his hand
was on the handle of the lock; and she spoke in a voice that was
almost goddess-like; that hardly betrayed, but yet that did betray,
the human effort. Bertram paused, and again turned to her.

"In your accusation against me just now--"

"I made no accusation, Caroline."

"You not only made it, Mr. Bertram, but I pleaded guilty to it. But
in making it you mentioned Mr. Harcourt's name. While you were absent
in Paris, I did talk with that gentleman on our private affairs,
yours and mine. I hope I am believed to have done so because I
regarded Mr. Harcourt as your friend?"

Bertram did not understand her, and he showed that he did not by his
look.

"It is diff