suggestion which was conveyed by
Talbot's words. He had not had leisure to notice or think of any one
except Dolores.

"It was Mr. Rivers," said Talbot.

"The devil!" cried Brooke, with a groan.

At this Talbot very properly said nothing.

"Well," said Brooke, after a long pause, "I didn't know that things could
possibly be more infernally embarrassing or more confoundedly complicated
than they were; but this is certainly a little beyond what I dreamed of.
And--and--"

He turned with a despairing look and took Talbot's hand.

"What, Brooke?"

"Am--am I--to--to--congratulate you--and all that?" he stammered.

"What!" said Talbot, reproachfully.

Brooke was silent.

"Oh, Brooke," said Talbot, "what are we to do?"

"Give it up," said Brooke, in a dismal voice.

"This," continued Talbot, "is worse than when we were prisoners, and dying
by turns for one another."

"I wish," said Brooke, "that I had died when I wanted to."

"And must we now give one another up?" sighed Talbot.

"Don't see what else we can do," said Brooke. "We've got to keep our
confounded promises."

"Which promises, Brooke?"

"I don't know."

"Brooke!"

"What?"

"What ought I to do?"

"I don't know."

"Ought I to keep my promise?"

"Which promise?"

"Why, my promise to--to Mr. Rivers."

"D--n Mr. Rivers!" growled Brooke, turning away.

"That," said Talbot, mildly, "is not an answer to my question."

"But how do I know?" said Brooke, in a voice like a wailing child.

"But how can I? how can I?" cried Talbot. "And when _you_ are here--_you_,
Brooke, who know all my heart! Can I give you up? I cannot! You may give
me up, if you like."

"Why don't you say, if I _can_?" said Brooke.

"Oh--any way," said Talbot, wearily.

There was another silence.

"Marry _him_!" cried Talbot, at last, breaking the silence with vehement
abruptness. "I cannot! I cannot! It would be wicked. I should desecrate
the holy sacrament. I could not utter that vow before the holy altar.
Never! Yet I can't stay here where _he_ is. He will be wishing to see me.
He will be coming soon--he may be coming now. I will not see him. I will
_not_ speak with him again. I will write to him. I will leave this place,
and at once."

"Leave this place!" repeated Brooke. "Where can you go?"

"Why, I'll go home," said Talbot, firmly.

"Home?"

"Yes."

"How can you? You don't know the way."

"I know one place where I can go--to that tower--that sweet towe