when you tell me that I shall be punished? But to avoid no
punishment, if any be in your power, will I ever willingly place myself
in your company. You may write of me what papers you please, and repeat
of me whatever stories you may choose to fabricate, but you will not
frighten me into compliance by doing so. I have; at any rate, spirit
enough to resist such attempts as that."

"As you are living at present, you are alone in the world!"

"And I am content to remain alone."

"You are thinking, then, of no second marriage?"

"If I were, does that concern you? But I will speak no further word to
you. If you follow me into the inn, or persecute me further by forcing
yourself upon me, I will put myself under the protection of the police."

Having said this, she walked on as quickly as her strength would permit,
while he walked by her side, urging upon her his old arguments as to
Lord Ongar's expressed wishes, as to his own efforts on her behalf--and
at last as to the strong affection with which he regarded her. But she
kept her promise, and said not a word in answer to it all. For more than
an hour they walked side by side, and during the greater part of that
time not a syllable escaped from her. From moment to moment she kept her
eye warily on him, fearing that he might take her by the arm, or attempt
some violence with her. But he was too wise for this, and too fully
conscious that no such proceeding on his part could be of any service to
him. He continued, however, to speak to her words which she could not
avoid hearing--hoping rather than thinking that he might at last
frighten her by a description of all the evil which it was within his
power to do her. But in acting thus he showed that he knew nothing of
her character. She was not a woman whom any prospect of evil could
possibly frighten into a distasteful marriage.

Within a few hundred yards of the hotel there is another fort, and at
this point the path taken by Lady Ongar led into the private grounds of
the inn at which she was staying. Here the count left her, raising his
hat as he did so, and saying that he hoped to see her again before she
left the island.

"If you do so," said she, "it shall be in presence of those who can
protect me." And so they parted.

Chapter XXXII

What Cecilia Burton Did For Her Sister-In-Law

As soon as Harry Clavering had made his promise to Mr. Burton, and had
declared that he would be in Onslow Crescent that sam