rom my drive. Is she right?"

"Quite right, Valeria," he answered--speaking in lower tones than usual,
and not looking at me.

"We have no concealments from each other now," I answered. "I ought to
tell you, and do tell you, that I found a letter from England waiting
at the banker's which has caused me some agitation and alarm. Will you
leave it to me to choose my own time for speaking more plainly? And will
you believe, love, that I am really doing my duty toward you, as a good
wife, in making this request?"

I paused. He made no answer: I could see that he was secretly struggling
with himself. Had I ventured too far? Had I overestimated the strength
of my influence? My heart beat fast, my voice faltered--but I summoned
courage enough to take his hand, and to make a last appeal to him.
"Eustace," I said; "don't you know me yet well enough to trust me?"

He turned toward me for the first time. I saw a last vanishing trace of
doubt in his eyes as they looked into mine.

"You promise, sooner or later, to tell me the whole truth?" he said

"I promise with all my heart!"

"I trust you, Valeria!"

His brightening eyes told me that he really meant what he said.
We sealed our compact with a kiss. Pardon me for mentioning these
trifles--I am still writing (if you will kindly remember it) of our new
honeymoon.

By that day's post I answered Benjamin's letter, telling him what I had
done, and entreating him, if he and Mr. Playmore approved of my conduct,
to keep me informed of any future discoveries which they might make at
Gleninch.

After an interval---an endless interval, as it seemed to me--of ten
days more, I received a second letter from my old friend, with another
postscript added by Mr. Playmore.

"We are advancing steadily and successfully with the putting together of
the letter," Benjamin wrote. "The one new discovery which we have made
is of serious importance to your husband. We have reconstructed certain
sentences declaring, in the plainest words, that the arsenic which
Eustace procured was purchased at the request of his wife, and was in
her possession at Gleninch. This, remember, is in the handwriting of
the wife, and is signed by the wife--as we have also found out.
Unfortunately, I am obliged to add that the objection to taking your
husband into our confidence, mentioned when I last wrote, still remains
in force--in greater force, I may say, than ever. The more we make out
of the letter, the more in