nzie off to consult his friend in the Temple on the law of clandestine
marriage? Who suggested your telegraphing home, and stopping here for
the night? Who made an appointment to meet your young man privately in
this detestable place in ten minutes' time? I did! I did! I did! All in
your interests. All to prevent you from doing what I have done--marrying
to please your family instead of to please yourself. (I don't complain,
mind, of Lord Winwood, or of his daughters. _He_ is charming; his
daughters I shall tame in course of time. You are different. And Mr.
Turlington, as I observed before, is a brute.) Very well. Now what do
you owe me on your side? You owe it to me at least to know your own
mind. You don't know it. You coolly inform me that you daren't run
the risk after all, and that you can't face the consequences on second
thoughts. I'll tell you what! You don't deserve that nice fellow, who
worships the very ground you tread on. You are a bread-and-butter miss.
I don't believe you are fond of him!"

"Not fond of him!" Natalie stopped, and clasped her hands in despair of
finding language strong enough for the occasion. At the same moment the
sound of a closing gate caught her ear. She looked round. Launce had
kept his appointment before his time. Launce was in the garden, rapidly
approaching them.

"Now for the Law of Clandestine Marriage!" said Lady Winwood. "Mr.
Linzie, we will take it sitting." She led the way to one of the benches
in the garden, and placed Launce between Natalie and herself. "Well,
Chief Conspirator, have you got the License? No? Does it cost too much?
Can I lend you the money?"

"It costs perjury, Lady Winwood, in my case," said Launce. "Natalie is
not of age. I can only get a License by taking my oath that I marry her
with her father's consent." He turned piteously to Natalie. "I couldn't
very well do that," he said, in the tone of a man who feels bound to
make an apology, "could I?" Natalie shuddered; Lady Winwood shrugged her
shoulders.

"In your place a woman wouldn't have hesitated," her ladyship remarked.
"But men are so selfish. Well! I suppose there is some other way?"

"Yes, there is another way," said Launce. "But there is a horrid
condition attached to it--"

"Something worse than perjury, Mr. Linzie? Murder?"

"I'll tell you directly, Lady Winwood. The marriage comes first. The
condition follows. There is only one chance for us. We must be married
by banns."

"Banns!" cri