o reason for a moment. Only think what
marriage is. It is a union of two loving hearts. In Scotland people marry
themselves. Why cannot you do in Spain what you might safely do in
Scotland?"

"Yes," said Talbot, "and in Turkey a man may marry a hundred wives. Why
may not you do in Spain what you may safely do in Turkey? Oh, Brooke!
Brooke! Are you altogether candid now, and true to your better self? Do
not tempt me, Brooke. Do not try to shake me. My mind is clear on this
point. I cannot do wrong, not even to please yon, Brooke."

As Talbot said this she looked at Brooke with a glance that penetrated to
his soul. Her eyes showed unfathomable tenderness and devotion, yet her
face and her voice told of a resolve that was immutable.

Then Brooke tried another tone.

"Confound these Spaniards!" he cried. "Talbot! Talbot! Come, why not
marry this couple of cursed fools and have done with it?"

Of these words Talbot took no notice whatever. She was silent for a time
and thoughtful. Then she went on to speak:

"I know. I begin, I think, to understand all about it. The girl he means
to marry is this English girl, the daughter of Mrs. Russell. Captain
Lopez loved her, as we were told. He has followed her here, and effected
her deliverance from her Carlist captors, and now, as a matter of course,
she feels grateful to him and is willing to marry him. But how can I do
anything? I cannot. It is horrible sacrilege. It is frightful sin. No; I
will tell him the whole truth."

Brooke looked at her with a face of anguish.

"Oh, Talbot," said he, "if you do, what will become of you?"

"What?" said Talbot, in a firm voice.

"He will kill you--and worse than that," said Brooke.

"Why should he kill me?" said Talbot. "It will do him no good. What cause
will he have to kill me?"

"I have thought it all over," said Brooke, "all over, a thousand times. I
have speculated as to the possible result of a frank disclosure, and I've
come to the conclusion that it is better to run every risk in this
disguise, and go even to the verge of death, rather than divulge your
secret now."

"Divulge my secret!" said Talbot, in surprise. "And why not? What is
there to divulge? I have only to say that I am not a priest--I am an
English lady, who have assumed this disguise as a safeguard."

Brooke sighed.

"It's too late, too late! Oh, fool that I was--cursed, cursed fool! But I
was afraid to trust those Republicans; I feared that they might ha