t as yet."

"I can. I will be so, when I know that this is settled. I do not wish to
interfere with his fortune. There is my letter to his mother, and now I
will go back to Stratton."

"Not yet, dearest, not yet," said Mrs. Burton, taking the letter in her
hand, but refraining from withdrawing it at once from the envelope. "You
must hear what I have heard to-day."

"Does she say that she loves him?"

"Ah! yes--she loves him. We must not doubt that."

"And he--what does she say of him?"

"She says what you also must say, Florence, though it is hard that it
should be so. It must be as he shall decide."

"No." said Florence, withdrawing herself from the arm that was still
around her, "no, it shall not be as he may choose to decide. I will not
so submit myself to him. It is enough as it is. I will never see him
more--never. To say that I do not love him would be untrue, but I will
never see him again."

"Stop, dear, stop. What if it be no fault of his?"

"No fault of his that he went to her when we--we--we--he and I--were, as
we were, together!"

"Of course there has been some fault; but Flo, dearest, listen to me.
You know that I would ask you to do nothing from which a woman should
shrink."

"I know that you would give your heart's blood for me; but nothing will
be of avail now. Do not look at me with melancholy eyes like that.
Cissy, it will not kill me. It is only the doubt that kills one."

"I will not look at you with melancholy eyes, but you must listen to me.
She does-not herself know what his intention is."

"But I know it, and I know my own. Read my letter, Cissy. There is not
one word of anger in it, nor will I ever utter a reproach. He knew her
first. If he loved her through it all, it was a pity he could not be
constant to his love, even though she was false to him."

"But you won't hear me, Flo. As far as I can learn the truth--as I
myself most firmly believe-when he went to her on her return to England,
he had no other intention than that of visiting an old friend."

"But what sort of friend, Cissy?"

"He had no idea then of being untrue to you. But when he saw her, the
old intimacy came back. That was natural. Thea he was dazzled by her
beauty."

"Is she then so beautiful?"

"She is very beautiful."

"Let him go to her," said Florence, tearing herself away from her
sister's arm, and walking across the room with a quick and almost angry
step. "Let her have him. Cissy, there shall be a