r often, and he has been very weak. It may
be all right yet, Flo; it may indeed--if you can forgive his weakness."

Something of the truth had now come home to Florence, and she sat
thinking of it long before she spoke again. This widow, she knew, was
very wealthy, and Harry had loved her before he had come to Stratton.
Harry's first love had come back free--free to wed again, and able to
make the fortune of the man she might love and marry. What had Florence
to give to any man that could be weighed with this? Lady Ongar was very
rich. Florence had already heard all this from Harry--was very rich, was
clever, and was beautiful; and moreover, she had been Harry's first
love. Was it reasonable that she, with her little claims, her puny
attractions, should stand in Harry's way when such a prize as that came
across him! And as for his weakness; might it not be strength, rather
than weakness; the strength of an old love which he could not quell, now
that the woman was free to take him? For herself--had she not known that
she had only come second? As she thought of him with his noble bride and
that bride's great fortune, and of her own insignificance, her low
birth, her doubtful prettiness--prettiness that had ever been doubtful
to herself of her few advantages, she told herself that she had no right
to stand upon her claims. "I wish I had known it sooner," she said, in a
voice so soft that Cecilia strained her ears to catch the words. "I wish
I had known it sooner. I would not have come up to be in his way."

"But you will be in no one's way, Flo, unless it be in hers."

"And I will not be in hers," said Florence, speaking somewhat louder,
and raising her head in pride as she spoke. "I will be neither in hers
nor in his. I think I will go back at once."

Cecilia upon this ventured to look around at her, and saw that she was
very pale, but that her eyes were dry and her lips pressed close
together. It had not occurred to Mrs. Burton that her sister-in-law
would take it in this way, that she would be willing to give way, and at
once surrender her lover to her rival. No one liked success better than
Cecilia Burton, and to her success would consist in rescuing Harry from
Lady Ongar and securing him for Florence. In fighting this battle she
had found that she would have against her Lady Ongar, of course, and
then her husband, and Harry himself too, as she feared; and now she must
reckon Florence also among her opponents. But sh