oes he know of what I feel? How can he understand me? How,
indeed, can I expect that any one shall understand me?"

"But it is possible that people should misunderstand you," said Mrs.
Clavering.

"Exactly. That is just what he says. But, Mrs. Clavering, I care nothing
for that. I care nothing for what any body says or thinks. What is it to
me what they say?"

"I should have thought it was every thing," said her sister.

"No, it is nothing--nothing at all." Then she was again silent, and was
unable to express herself She could not bring herself to declare in
words that self-condemnation of her own conduct which was now weighing
so heavily upon her. It was not that she wished to keep back her own
feelings either from her sister or from Mrs. Clavering, but that the
words in which to express them were wanting to her.

"And have they accepted the house?" Mrs. Clavering asked.

"They must accept it. What else can they do? They can not make me call
it mine if I do not choose. If I refuse to take the income which Mr.
Courton's lawyer pays in to my bankers, they can not compel me to have
it."

"But you are not going to give that up too?" said her sister.

"I am. I will not have his money--not more than enough to keep me from
being a scandal to his family. I will not have it. It is a curse to me,
and has been from the first. What right have I to all that money,
because--because--because--" She could not finish her sentence, but
turned away from them, and walked by herself to the window.

Lady Clavering looked at Mrs. Clavering as though she thought that her
sister was mad. "Do you understand her?" said Lady Clavering, in a
whisper.

"I think I do," said the other. "I think I know what is passing in her
mind." Then she followed Lady Ongar across the room, and, taking her
gently by the arm, tried to comfort her--to comfort her and to argue
with her as to the rashness of that which she proposed to do. She
endeavored to explain to the poor woman how it was that she should at
this moment be wretched, and anxious to do that which, if done, would
put it out of her power afterward to make herself useful in the world.
It shocked the prudence of Mrs. Clavering--this idea of abandoning
money, the possession of which was questioned by no one. "They do not
want it, Lady Ongar," she said.

"That has nothing to do with it," answered the other.

"And nobody has any suspicion but what it is honorably and fairly your
own."

"But