not done almost immediately
this callous, selfish girl would cause lifelong wretchedness to
Graydon as certainly as to Madge herself. Such a nature could not long
maintain its disguise, and probably would not be at pains to do so
after marriage. The self-sacrifice that she had led Graydon to believe
in was all deceit. It was self with her, first and last; it would be
self always. Madge knew Graydon well enough to be sure that to him,
when his illusions were dissipated, the marriage vow would become a
chain growing heavier with time.

This absolutely certain phase of the danger was so terrible that at
first it almost completely dominated her thoughts. "Oh," she moaned,
"I could see him marry a woman who would make him happy, and yet
survive, but this would be worse than death!"

As she became more calm and could think connectedly, her mind reverted
to what had been said about Henry's financial peril; and while she was
inclined to take the same view as Miss Wildmere, she soon began to see
that her brother-in-law should be informed of all references to him.
Then the impression grew upon her that it would be wisest to tell him
all, and let him save his brother, if possible, from a fate infinitely
worse than lifelong poverty. Would this involve the disclosure to Mr.
Muir of her secret? Sometimes she thought that he half suspected her
already, and she feared that she could scarcely speak of a subject
that touched her heart's interests so closely without revealing to
those keen gray eyes more than she would have them see. But the risk
must be taken to save Graydon.

"Can it be?" she said, after musing awhile, "that Henry is in any
such danger as that man asserted, or was it a trumped-up scheme to
influence the girl? Still, he did say that if she would choose Graydon
and poverty he would not interpose. Poverty! I would welcome bondage
and chains with Graydon. I would almost welcome Henry's failure, that
I might prove to them my devotion. Every penny of my fortune should
be theirs. Henry has looked very anxious and troubled sometimes when
thinking himself unobserved. He keeps everything to himself so--"

Suddenly she sprang up with a flash of joy in her face, and whispered
to herself, excitedly: "Suppose there is truth in what was said by
those speculators. I have a fortune, and it's my own. Henry said it
was so left to me that I could control it after I was eighteen. I can
lend Henry the money to pay Arnault. I will give h