etray me, Captain Burnett?'

'I do not understand you,' he returned, almost unable to believe his
ears. Could she really think that he would make himself a party to her
duplicity?

'I think my meaning is sufficiently clear,' she replied, as though
impatient at his denseness. 'Now you have heard my story, you cannot
blame me; under the circumstances, you must own that my conduct was
perfectly justifiable.'

'I am not your judge, Mrs. Blake,' he answered quietly; 'but in my
opinion nothing could justify such an act of deception. None of us have
any right to say, "Evil, be thou my good." When you deceived the world
and your own children, by wearing widow's weeds, when all the time you
knew you had a living husband, you were distinctly living a lie.'

'And I glory in that lie!' she answered passionately.

'Do not--do not!' he returned with some emotion; 'for it will bring you
bitter sorrow. Do you think the son for whom you have sacrificed your
integrity will thank you for it----' But before he could finish his
sentence a low cry, almost of agony, stopped him. Ah, he had touched her
there.

'You will kill me,' she gasped, 'if you only hint at such a thing!
Captain Burnett, I will say I am sorry--I will say anything--if you will
only help me to keep this thing from my boy. Will you go to Mat? Will
you ask him, for all our sakes, to go away? He is not a bad man. When he
hears about Cyril's prospects he will not spoil them by coming here and
making a scene. I will see him if he likes--but I think it would be
better not. Tell him if he wants money he shall have it: there is a sum
I can lay my hands on, and Cyril will never know.'

'You want me to bribe your husband to go away?'

'Yes. You have promised to help me; and this is the only way.'

'Pardon me! There are limits to anything--an honest man cannot soil his
hands with any such acts of deception. When I said I would help you, it
was real help I meant--for good, and not for evil. I will not attempt to
bribe your husband; neither will I stand by and see you blindfold your
son.'

Then she threw herself on her knees before him, with a faint cry for
mercy. But he put her back in her seat, and then took her hands in his
and held them firmly.

'Hush! you must not do that. I will be as kind to you as I can. Do you
think that my heart is not full of pity for you, in spite of your
wrong-doing? Try to be reasonable and listen to me. I have only one
piece of advice to giv